The Last Conversation
by deewriter19
Summary: What do you say to the love of your life as she is about marry someone else? Cappie asks Casey to meet him so that they can talk. Will this be it for them or will they embark on a new adventure together? Mainly C&C with other Greek fave characters. Enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Welcome to my 2nd Greek story, for some of you readers, you've followed my other story "Can't Let Go", at this time I'm trying to write and complete that story so bear with me. I was just inspired to write this one, so there you have it. Please read and let me know what you think. Glad to be writing again!**

* * *

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter One**

As she entered the cafe, she couldn't help but feel nervous. She didn't even know why she agreed to meet him. It had been seven years since they left CRU and went their separate ways. After graduation they had tried to make it work but in the end they wanted different things. She needed for him to be a man and stand by her side and think about their future. He needed her to not take life so seriously and live in the moment. They were complete opposites in almost everything, but it was their connection to one another that made being together worth it. They loved each other very much, maybe a little too much, but it was a love unlike any other.

She knew Rusty must have told Cappie that she was getting married. She knew her brother was still close friends with him. She received an email from Cappie a week ago asking her to meet him so they could talk. She almost said no, but decided that it'd be a good thing to see Cappie. She had seen him a few times in the last few years but they were brief encounters. When Rusty and Jordan got engaged a year ago, Cappie had been at their engagement party. When Cappie saw Casey, they had smiled at each other across the room but he never approached her nor did she approach him. She wasn't sure if she had imagined it, but she swore she saw Cappie's eyes fill with pain as he watched her with her fiancé.

Casey smiled as she thought about the man she was about to marry. It took going to college for four years and four years of being in the real world to reconnect with Derek, her high school sweetheart. Casey had just started working at Barney's as a shopping consultant when Derek came in needing help finding a suit. Ever since that meeting they had been inseparable and in two weeks they would be husband and wife. She had a good life and good man by her side….but as good a man as Derek was, she knew he wasn't Cappie.

Just then the door to the café opened and he walked in. Casey gulped as she looked at Cappie as he scanned the room looking for her and then their eyes met. He gave her a small smile. He was still a little scruffy, his hair a little longish, but that look always looked good on him. His blue eyes were still full of life and they looked at her with depth and love. He was wearing gray slacks and a light blue dress shirt. Casey could feel herself blush as she eyed him up and down. With every step Cappie took towards her, she felt more nervous than ever.

* * *

When Cappie opened the café door he looked at all the patrons for the beautiful blonde that he hadn't been able to get out of his mind for the past several years. He was an idiot for letting her go. After three years of bouncing back and forth at CRU, they finally got together their senior year. She was the one he always wanted. No other women compared to her. Then he screwed it all up when Casey was offered the chance to go to Manhattan and intern with Vogue. Cappie sighed with sadness as he thought about that day seven years ago.

Casey had just received a phone call from Vogue telling her that she had been selected out of all their applicants to intern with the fashion magazine for a year. It was Casey's dream to work for a fashion magazine and she was a step closer to that reality. When she broke the news to him, he was thrilled for her but he knew that she would have to move to Manhattan. And that meant she would be leaving him in Chicago, where they both ended up after CRU. Then Casey asked him if he would go to Manhattan with her.

At first Cappie thought he had misheard her. So he looked at her and said, "What did you just say?"

Casey walked over to him and put her arms around his neck and kissed him lightly on the lips. She tilted her head back and looked at him, her hazel eyes lighting up. "I am asking you to move with me to Manhattan. My internship starts in a month. We have plenty of time to find a place together and think about the road trip out to Manhattan. It'll be so much fun."

Cappie was quiet as he pondered what Casey just said to him. "We just got this place a couple of months ago," he gestured towards their one-bedroom apartment. "It was hard enough finding an apartment in Chicago; won't it be just as hard in Manhattan?"

"I'm sure it'll be hard, but as long as we're doing it together, it won't be so bad. Besides we can always sublet this apartment, who knows if I'll stay in Manhattan after my internship. We could always ask one of our friends and see if they're looking for an apartment. Didn't Beaver just relocate to Chicago? Maybe he'd want to sublet from us."

Cappie shook his head. "I'm sorry, Casey, as happy as I am for you about Vogue, I don't think I can move to Manhattan. I already relocated to Chicago to be closer to you and now you want us to move to Manhattan, too. It's too much."

Casey was confused. She was so sure that Cappie would be on board about going to Manhattan. "Cappie, I'm going to go to Manhattan and I need you there with me."

Cappie sighed and walked over to the window that gave them an amazing view of the city. "I can't go with you. I'm starting law school in a month at Northwestern, remember? There's no time for me to defer and reapply to a school in New York. You go to Manhattan; I know how much you wanted this internship."

Casey went over and joined Cappie at the window. She leaned her forehead against his back. "All I know is that I want us to be together Cap. The thought of being away from you is too much. If it means that much to you to stay here then I'll stay too. Internships come and go, right?"

Cappie turned to face Casey. "You cannot give up that internship because of me. I won't let you do it."

"But Cap," Casey started.

Cappie cut her off. "No Casey. You're going to do that internship whether we're together or not. You need to do it. I don't want you to give up your dreams because of me."

"Cappie, I know what I'm giving up here. There're other places I can find a job or internship at in Chicago. It took us three years to get back to each other at CRU; I just don't want to lose any more time with you."

"Case," Cappie looked into her eyes and gently cupped her cheek. "You have to go. Forget about me okay. Manhattan needs you."

"Don't you need me?" Casey asked softly.

"I will always need you, but this is your career we're talking about. This is a once and a chance lifetime opportunity. I bet there were thousands of applicants and out of all those people Anna Wintour and her crew want you. That's something pretty big and special, Case."

Casey slowly nodded her head. "I know that everything you're saying is right, but there's no one else in the world like you Cap. I don't want to miss that every day while I'm in Manhattan and you're here."

At that moment, Cappie couldn't help but love Casey even more. He couldn't believe she was willing to give up her internship for him. He knew that what he was about to do was heinous but he had to do it because he loved her that much. "Case," he wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, you know. And because I love you, I have to let you go."

Casey looked up at Cappie, her eyes full of confusion. "What are you saying?"

"It's over, okay?" He told her softly. "If I need to break up with you in order for you to go to Manhattan, then this is it. You need to go and do your internship."

Casey's eyes glittered with tears. "You're not serious, are you?"

Cappie nodded his head. "I'm letting you go."

Casey was stunned. "You're serious? Oh my god, I can't breathe. One minute I'm asking you to go to Manhattan and the next you're dumping me? I don't get it. Why?"

"Because I love you." Cappie said quietly.

"But why break up? What about long-distance? I could handle that." Casey pleaded.

"You're not getting the point, Case. I'm letting you go because I love you. I have to let you go to Manhattan with a mind clear of me and your life here. You have a new adventure to embark on."

Casey wiped at her eyes with a tissue. "I don't want to lose you Cappie."

Cappie walked over and wrapped his arms around her. "Trust me, this hurts me, too. But it's the right thing to do. I'm being selfless here Casey. I want you to enjoy Manhattan and kick ass at Vogue. And if things really are meant to be, we'll find our way back to each other, right?"

Casey gave him a small smile through her tears. "I guess you're right."

Cappie held on to her for a while longer and breathed in her familiar scent of vanilla and thought to himself, _I hope I'm right._

Cappie's thoughts were interrupted as he felt the familiar hazel eyes of Casey Cartwright watching him. He smiled as he looked at her. She was as gorgeous as ever. Her hair lay in soft waves down her back. He saw her stand up to greet him and he looked her up and down. She was wearing a black v-neck sweater that hugged her curves. She was wearing dark jeans that looked great on her and black knee high boots. She was definitely fashionable and looked amazing.

With a few steps he was standing in front of her. He looked down and smiled at her. "Hey Case."

Casey smiled shyly at him. "Hi Cap." And then she reached towards him for a hug. As she felt Cappie's arms around her, Casey closed her eyes and smiled. _It feels good to be here,_ she thought.

Cappie breathed her in and closed his eyes. This was going to be a long night. He knew right then and there he didn't want to let her go.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Two**

As they ended their embrace and sat down at the table, Cappie and Casey couldn't help but smile at each other. Casey reached out and put a hand on Cappie's. "It's really good to see you Cap."

"You too, Case." He squeezed her hand. "It's been way too long."

Casey took a sip of her drink. "Chai," she nodded at her cup. "I don't drink coffee anymore."

"Well," Cappie chuckled. "I still drink it. Black with--"

"Two sugars." Casey finished for him. She laughed as she handed a cup towards him. "I was hoping you still drank it the same."

Cappie took a sip and smiled. "Mmmm, now that's good."

Then Casey gave him a serious look. "In your email you said you wanted to talk."

"I do," He said not breaking their gaze. "Rusty told me you'd be in town."

"Well, you know why I'm in town." Casey said.

Cappie winced at her words. "I know, Case, I just wanted to see you and wish you congrats."

"Oh," Casey said quietly. "Well, thank you. Even though we live in Manhattan, we wanted to get married here in Chicago. It's home."

"So, you stayed in Manhattan after all?" Cappie smirked.

Casey nodded her head and looked at him. "Yeah," she smiled sheepishly. "After my internship, Vogue hired me as an assistant editor for fashion. I did that for a couple of years then got a job at Barney's as a fashion consultant and now I'm a buyer there. I love my job."

"I'm glad things worked out well for you." Cappie gave her a smile, then he coughed slightly, "So, tell me about the guy."

"You really want to know?" Casey asked. "Why didn't you come and say hi at Rusty and Jordan's engagement party?"

Cappie shrugged. "That was then; I didn't know what to think when I saw you with him. It really sucked to see you on the arms of another guy."

"But you've seen me with other guys before."

"But not like that." Cappie told her. "It was pretty obvious things were serious between you two, then Rusty told me he was your fiancé. I couldn't face you then."

"And you can now? Why?" Casey was curious to hear what Cappie was thinking.

"I guess I get it now. All this time I've been waiting for you to come back and when you didn't I finally got it. We weren't destined to be together after all. I guess I made the right decision by letting you go." Cappie gave her a smile, but the smile was wiped off his face as he saw tears in Casey's eyes. "Case, what's up?"

Casey shrugged. "Cappie, when I left for Manhattan I was so mad at you. Mad that you would let me go like that. I was so hurt and so in love with you. I really believed we'd find each other again and I waited for that moment as well. I came home for Christmas that year and learned that you were already living with someone else in our old apartment. I came to see you and this gorgeous dark haired woman opened the door and told me you weren't home. She asked me inside and when I did, I saw that our place was completely gone. There wasn't a part of me left in there. Right then and there, I got it, too."

Cappie was shocked. He didn't even know about this incident. He hadn't been living with anyone else in their apartment. Sure, he had the occasional hook-up, but that was it. The brunette must have been Holly, one of his law school classmates. _Damn her_, he thought. Holly knew all about Casey, heck, everyone in his study group knew about her. He couldn't stop talking about her. Holly must have misled Casey. Holly wanted to date him but he turned her down numerous times. "Case, I swear to you, no one lived with me after you. That girl was one of my classmates. I'm sorry she lied to you."

Casey wiped at her eyes. "Now I feel silly."

"Why?" Cappie asked.

"Because I was so upset after I left your place that day. I refused to contact you after that. It just hurt to see our apartment look so different without my things there. There wasn't a trace of me left in there."

"Case, there's always been a part of you with me." Cappie picked her hand up and leaned his cheek against it. Then he let go of her hand and reached for the black cord around his neck and produced the silver ZBZ letters of her lavaliere.

Casey's gasped lightly. "My letters." She cried softly. "You still have my letters?"

"Always have, always will."

Casey stared at Cappie and didn't know what to say. "Why haven't you come after me?"

Cappie looked down at the table and sighed. "I came to Manhattan a year after you left. I got your information from Rusty and I wanted to surprise you. I was waiting for you at the Vogue office and I saw you get out of the elevators with a group of people and you looked so beautiful and confident. I waited for you to see me, but you walked right by me with your group. It was obvious everyone wanted to hang out with you. I couldn't compete with that."

"Cap," Casey playfully punched his arm. "You came out to Manhattan and you didn't even bother to let me know. I would've left that group of people if you had called my name. Do you know how many missed opportunities we've had? Why did we let that happen?"

"I don't know, Case," Cappie said. "I keep wondering myself."

"And now?" Casey said.

"You really love this guy, don't you?" Cappie asked.

Casey looked at him and slowly nodded. "I do."

"Then I'm happy for you. I guess I needed to see you and understand the truth of it all and really see it in your face."

Casey looked away for a sec, cutting her gaze from his. "Are you happy Cap?"

Cappie nodded. "I think I am. I've got a smashing career, a great apartment, and great friends, what more could a guy ask for?"

Casey smiled politely. "What about love Cappie? Do you have someone in your life?"

Cappie shrugged. "No, not really. I've dated several women after you, but," Cappie shook his head, "but never mind."

Casey leaned forward. "Never mind what?"

Cappie could feel his cheeks getting flushed as Casey's hair lightly fell over her shoulders and touched his arms. "You don't want to hear this, Case. You're getting married in a couple of weeks."

"It's okay, Cap, you can tell me." Casey smiled encouragingly.

"Fine," Cappie conceded. "I was going to say, like always, no one compares to you."

Casey could feel herself blushing now. She knew that was what Cappie was going to say, she just needed to hear it from him. "Well, truth be told, Cap," she started, leaning towards him and whispering in his ear. "There's no one like you either."

Cappie turned his head towards her and smiled slightly. "Is that so?"

"Definitely." Casey looked at him and put a hand against his cheek. "I'm glad you emailed me."

"Casey?" Cappie asked. "What are we doing here?"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "You tell me? What do you want?"

"To congratulate you on your upcoming wedding." He said nonchalantly.

"Is that so?" Casey said, mocking him. She was leaning her face closer to his.

"Definitely." Cappie agreed, and then before either of them could stop, he had one hand behind Casey's head and his lips were against hers. He was kissing her with all the passion he could give and he could feel Casey doing the same.

As Casey's lips met Cappie's she forgot about everything else in the world. She forgot about the invitations that were sent out two months ago; she forgot about her next dress fitting for the strapless Vera Wang she had fallen in love with; she forgot about her upcoming bachelorette party that Ashleigh and Rebecca were throwing for her; and most importantly, she forgot about her dark haired, brown eyed fiancé Derek. All that matter now was being in this moment with Cappie, her first love.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Three**

Casey woke up and looked around her. She didn't recognize the room she was in. The walls were a light beige color and she stared down at the tan comforter covering her naked body. It wasn't the comforter from her bedroom at her parent's house. She felt an arm around her. Oh, thank god, Derek was here. She must've stopped by his hotel room last night. She turned to face him and gasped as she saw the person lying next to her. _Oh my god! I didn't?_ Casey asked herself. How much did she drink the night before? After their kiss, she and Cappie decided to grab some dinner and they may have had a couple of bottles of wine. _Damn, damn, damn_, _this_ _was not supposed to happen._

She slowly moved the covers off of her and got out of the bed and grabbed her clothes off the floor and went into the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror. _Idiot_, she scolded herself. How could she do this to Derek? They were getting married in two weeks. How could she be so stupid? Then she thought of Cappie's lips on her and her body and she smiled a bit. She put her clothes back on and ran a finger through her hair to untangle it. She used her finger to brush her teeth and once she was done with freshening up, she opened the door and slightly jumped as she saw Cappie standing in front of her.

"Good morning, gorgeous," he leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. "You're not going to run out on me, are you?"

"I'm sorry Cappie," Casey told him, grabbing her purse."I have to get going."

Cappie grabbed her and put his arms around her. "Am I going to see you later?"

Casey gave him a serious look. "As great as this was Cap," she started, "you know I'm still getting married. It doesn't change anything."

Cappie frowned. "Oh, I guess I was getting ahead of myself. After everything yesterday, I was hoping this was a go."

"If only things were different Cap," she said softly. She kissed him lightly on the lips. "Last night was amazing, but let's just leave it at that. I hope you find your happiness. Take care." Casey squeezed his hand then walked out of his bedroom and possibly out of his life forever. Cappie walked towards the living room to watch her leave. As Casey reached the front doors, she turned to look back at him. "Good-bye Cap," she looked sadly at him and then turned and walked out the door.

Cappie touched the lavaliere around his neck, "Good-bye Case," he said quietly. He couldn't believe he was going to lose her again. He knew in his heart they were meant to be together. This was their moment, their way back to each other. One way or another, he was going to get her back.

* * *

As Casey went into the elevator she grabbed her sunglasses out of her purse and put them on. She didn't want anyone to see her tears. It hurt to leave Cappie just now. He wanted them to be together. If things were simple, it'd be easy to transition back to that life with him. But she had invested the last three years of her life with Derek and it wouldn't be fair to break things off with him because of one night she shared with Cappie. Leaving Cappie and getting married to Derek was the logical thing to do.

As Casey stepped out of the elevator and out of Cappie's apartment building, she could hear her phone ringing. She looked at the screen and saw that it was Ashleigh. "Hey Ash," she answered.

"Case? Where are you? Derek's called me twice already." Ashleigh asked.

"What did you say?" Casey wondered.

"I told him you were asleep and that you'd call him when you wake up." Ashleigh said evenly.

"Oh Ash, you're the bestest friend anyone could ask for. I'll call him in a bit."

"Now that I covered your ass, are you going to tell me what's up?" Ashleigh said with a chuckle.

"Do you have time to meet up?" Casey asked.

"My schedule is open all day. I have the next two weeks off remember? The MOH is ready to do anything for the bride." Ashleigh said with a laugh.

"Well, I appreciate you taking the time to be here with me in Chicago. Anyway, I'll stop by your hotel room. Where are you at again?"

"The Four Seasons. Bex and I are in the Royal Suite on the 46th floor. Just make your way over. I'll order some breakfast."

"Sounds great, Ash. See you in a few." Casey looked around for a cab and was lucky when she saw one heading in her direction. She hailed it and the driver pulled over to the curb.

"Morning," she called as she got in. "The Four Seasons please?"

"Sure thing, miss," the driver smiled at her. It took about 10 minutes to get to the Four Seasons. After Casey paid the driver, she got out and made her way inside the gorgeous lobby of the hotel. Of course Rebecca would reserve only the best for her and her friends. Casey got into the elevator and pressed 46 and waited patiently as the elevator made its' way up to the top floor. After several stops here and there, it finally stopped. Casey got out and walked towards the Royal Suite. She was about to knock on the door when it opened and a hand grabbed hers in a big hug.

"Casey!" Ashleigh yelled hugging her best friend.

"Ash! It's so good to see you. I'm so glad you're here with me."

"Like I was going to miss my best friend walking down the aisle."

"So how was your flight?" Casey asked.

"Eh?" Ashleigh shrugged. "Rebecca, Evan, and I planned our flights perfectly. Both our flights landed within 20 minutes of each other and we made our way over here. Poor Evan; Bex wanted this suite just for us girls, so he's in a nice room on the 20th floor or something. Oh well, what can you do? Anyway, this suite is amazing, wait till you see the view."

"Where's Bex?" Casey asked.

"She went shopping with Evan."

"Already? It's not even 10 yet."

"When in Rome, right?" Ashleigh giggled.

"I guess." Then she took a look at the room and her jaw dropped. "How much are you spending on this room?"

"I have no idea. Rebecca told me not to worry about it."

"Geez, must be nice." Casey smirked.

"Well, you're welcome to stay here with us before the wedding. There are two bedrooms and we can always get a roll-away. It'll be like old times at CRU – us sharing a room again."

"As nice as that sounds, I'll be okay at my parents' place. Besides Derek has a room at the Hilton. I know it's no Four Seasons, but it's nice enough." Casey chuckled.

"Well speaking of said fiancé, he was totally freaked when he called here this morning. When he couldn't get a hold of you on your cell, he called your parents and they said you never came home last night. Derek told me you met up with a friend for dinner. I just told him you had dinner near the hotel and knew we were here and you slept over because it was late."

Casey walked over to the kitchen area and took a seat at the dining table that was littered with eggs, bacon, French toast, and fresh fruit. "Wow, look at this spread. This is great. I'm starving."

Ashleigh joined Casey at the table. "We're not getting off this subject Case. Who did you meet up with last night?"

Casey looked at her best friend's face. Casey knew Ash was going to freak out. "I was with Cappie." Casey said meekly.

"Shut up!" Ashleigh exclaimed.

Casey nodded. "I was with Cap, Ash."

"Casey, what are you doing? Why would you even do that this close to your wedding day?" Ashleigh exclaimed.

"He wanted to talk and I thought it would be a good thing to see him. We left so much unsaid seven years ago and we needed closure."

"And did you get closure?" Ashleigh crossed her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow.

"I think so." Casey said quietly.

"And?" Ashleigh asked.

"What?" Casey asked innocently.

"Oh don't be coy," Ashleigh urged. "You're dying to say it, so just say it already."

Casey rolled her eyes. "I know we shouldn't have, but we slept together. And Ash," Casey paused, "it was amazing." Ashleigh pinched Casey's arm. "Ow, Ash, what's that for?"

"To wake you up! Casey, maybe you needed to see Cappie to end whatever this thing you two share, but now that it's over, you need to focus on your future with Derek."

Casey nodded in agreement. "You're right. It was just a trip down memory lane with Cappie, that's all."

"So can you forget about the guy and focus on your next steps?" Ashleigh asked.

"Of course," Casey said, not sure if she was convinced herself. "Cappie and I are done for good. I had to see him to finally end things between us and to get rid of this connection."

"Right," Ashleigh agreed. "Alright, eat up; we've got your dress fitting appointment this afternoon. We can do some shopping afterwards since we're here."

"Ash," Casey said, "Am I horrible?"

Ashleigh looked at her best friend and gave her a small smile. "You're not horrible, Case. You're human. You just have to forget and move on, okay?"

"You're right," Casey agreed. The conversation about Cappie ended right then and there as they focused on their breakfast and talked about the wedding. As hard as she tried to push Cappie to the back of her mind, Casey couldn't help but think about Cappie, his kisses, and her lavaliere around his neck. Deep down she knew things between her and Cappie were far from over.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Four**

Cappie was trying to focus on the contract sitting in front of him. He was having a hard time focusing because he couldn't get Casey out of his mind. It had been a liitle over a week since he saw her. He had called and left her voicemails and emails but she hadn't returned any of them. He knew she was set to marry that Saturday. It was killing him not to see her, hear her or touch her. He knew that if he wanted to see her, there was one person who could help him.

Cappie checked his Blackberry for Rusty's number and called him. Rusty answered after a few rings. "Hey Spitter," he said casually.

"Cap," Rusty said. "What's up?"

"So, I was hoping you could help me with something." Cappie started.

Rusty sighed. "If this has anything to do with Casey, I can't help you, Cap."

Cappie coughed and faked a laugh. "Why would this have anything to do with Casey?"

"Come on, Cappie," Rusty said. "You know she's getting married this Saturday."

"She's in town?" Cappie asked indifferently. "I didn't even realize."

Rusty chuckled. "You're full of b.s. Besides Casey kind of mentioned to me that she saw you last week."

"What did she say?" Cappie asked.

"She just mentioned you guys grabbed dinner and caught up."

"It was more than just dinner," Cappie said quietly.

"I was afraid it was more than that. I think my sister might have mentioned it only to see if I'd heard from you, to be honest."

"Rusty, she can't marry that guy on Saturday." Cappie told him.

"Cappie, as much as I always wanted you and Casey to be together; it's too late. You guys are too old to keep playing this song and dance. If you love my sister so much, why'd you let her go?" Rusty challenged.

"Believe me Spitter, I have my regrets. I've asked myself the same thing over and over."

Rusty sighed, "Alright Cap, what do you want me to do?"

"Can you arrange a dinner with Casey? Tell her you want to have some Cartwright time together, except it'll be me she's meeting with." Cappie pleaded.

"I guess I can do that. You're only going to talk to her right?"

"Of course," Cappie said. "We left things unsaid last week and I need to clear the air. I have no intentions of breaking up her engagement or pending marriage."

"Okay, Cap," Rusty agreed, "Only because you're my big brother, I'll do this for you."

"Have Casey meet me tomorrow night at 6:00 pm at Sushi Mura. Thanks Rusty, this means a lot to me."

Rusty chuckled. "Just don't make me regret anything, okay?"

"You got it," Cappie said. After they said good-bye, Cappie called Sushi Mura to book a table for two. It was a small restaurant with intimate seating and it was the perfect ambience to tell Casey his feelings. "Sorry Rusty," he said apologetically to himself, as he thought about lying to his friend and telling him he had no intention of getting in Casey's way. He had to tell her; this was his last chance to be with her.

* * *

Casey checked her watch. It was already 6:10 and there was no sign of Rusty. _Where was he_? He had called her yesterday and asked her to dinner. She was looking forward to spending some time with her brother. With both Jordan and Derek in their lives, she and Rusty hadn't had a chance to just hang out lately. She had checked the restaurant and didn't see him inside, so she stood outside waiting for him. She called Rusty and got his voicemail. "Hey, it's me," she said. "Where are you? I've been waiting outside for 10 minutes. Let me know if you're close by."

She went inside the restaurant and looked at the patrons closely and she gasped as she saw Cappie sitting in a booth. She looked at her phone and back at Cappie. "Rusty," she muttered under her breath. She wasn't sure if she wanted to be alone with Cappie, she was afraid of what might happen. Cappie had left her several voicemails and emails in the past week, but she couldn't bring herself to return his calls or emails. She was trying to be a good fiancée and focus on her wedding.

Since Cappie hadn't seen her yet, she could easily walk out of the restaurant unnoticed. She was turning towards the door when she heard her name being called. She turned towards Cappie and gave him a small smile. "Cappie, what a nice surprise to see you here."

Cappie walked towards her and gave her small peck on the cheek. He looked down at her and gave her a sheepish smile. "I had to see you."

"So you had Rusty set up a faux dinner with me." Casey asked crossing her arms across her chest, a smile playing at her lips.

Cappie shrugged and grin. "You caught me."

"Smart move, Counselor," Casey grinned back. "So, is there really dinner or not?"

"Definitely," Cappie took her hand and led her to their table. He waited for her to hang up her jacket and take a seat before he did. "You look beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you," Casey said blushing. She had dressed accordingly, thinking she was hanging with her little brother. So she settled on a simple green v-neck shirt and a cream colored linen pants. She had her hair up in a loose bun. "You look pretty handsome yourself."

"Ah, this old thing," Cappie gestured to his shirt. "Thanks." Casey was trying to keep her gaze off of his. If Cappie continued to look at her the way he did, she might just do something she'd regret. Cappie looked extremely handsome in a gray crew neck sweater.

Before they could continue, the waitress stopped by take their drink orders. Casey asked for a lemon drop while Cappie ordered sake. Once the waitress left their table, Casey looked at Cappie. "So, I'm sorry that I didn't return your calls or emails."

Cappie nodded. "Yeah, I was starting to feel like a needy chick. I'm sorry if I put you in a weird situation. It's my fault. I know you're not available and I pursued you anyway. I guess I wanted to apologize."

"Don't apologize." Casey said quietly.

"Excuse me?" Cappie asked with confusion.

"I wanted what happened last week to happen just as much as you did." Casey said shyly. "I just wish things were different."

"So, you're still getting married on Saturday?" Cappie asked.

"Cap," Casey said reaching out and taking his hand. "You know I am. So, what's tonight about?"

"I wanted to apologize for last week." Cappie said.

"That's bull, Cap," Casey said. "What's the real reason for getting me here tonight?"

Cappie looked away for a second. This was it; this was his chance to tell her the truth. "Casey, I was an idiot for letting you go seven years earlier."

Casey nodded in agreement. "I know. But it wasn't just you; I was an idiot, too."

"No Casey, you're not an idiot. You wanted to stay in Chicago and I pushed you to go to Manhattan. At the time I thought I was doing the right thing for you, but it wasn't the right thing for me. When you left for Manhattan, all I did was clean the apartment every day until law school started. Trust me, it was bad."

"We should've just stuck together." Casey said. "Even with me in Manhattan and you here, we should've stayed together. If we had, it'd be you and me at the altar."

"Yeah," Cappie agreed. Then he squeezed her hand. "It could still be us, Case."

Casey was about to respond when the waitress brought their drinks to them. She asked if they were ready to order. Casey glanced at Cappie and nodded for him to go ahead. Cappie ordered them some sashimi, edamame, and several rolls. Once the waitress left, Casey turned to him and shook her head. "I wish it was that easy, Cap. I really wish it was."

"But what?" Cappie dreaded what would come next.

"But I'm still getting married on Saturday." Casey told him.

"Do you have to?" Cappie asked. "I know it's not just me, you still feel what's going on between us, don't you?"

Casey shrugged. "Even so, I can't just leave my fiancé. I've spent the past three years of my life in a committed relationship to him. And I do see a future with him."

"You once saw a future with me in it." Cappie told her.

"And you apparently didn't see me in yours. You only wanted to live in the moment Cap. I wanted you to tell me or show me that you saw a future for us, but you never gave me that."

"So you marry the first guy that tells you he sees you in his future?" Cappie asked.

"How dare you?" Casey spat out. "It's not like that. I've known Derek for a long time."

Cappie knew he was being petty, but he couldn't help it. "I'm sorry Case, I shouldn't have said that."

"Let's just enjoy our dinner, please," Casey pleaded. "We can talk about everything after dinner, okay?"

Cappie nodded. "Fine. Let's eat and be 'marry' together."

Casey shook her head and laughed. "Leave it to you to use a pun."

The waitress arrived at their table with their food. Once they started eating, they pushed all the serious talk aside and focused on telling each other funny stories about their past at CRU and things from over the years. Casey had to admit that she was having a great time with Cappie. Cappie was trying not to imagine that he and Casey were together and he was resisting the urge to reach across the table and pull her face towards his for a kiss. He knew that as soon as their dinner was over, she would leave him. He had to prolong tonight as long as he could.

He smiled at her across the table and took a sip of his sake. "Do you want to grab a night cap after dinner?"

Casey checked her watch. It was almost 9:00. "Sure, why not? Where should we have this night cap?"

"My place," he said quietly. "We'll just go back for dessert and a drink. Nothing else. I promise."

Casey raised an eyebrow. "And what's for dessert?"

"Blueberry pie," Cappie started, "a la mode."

"Sounds delicious." Casey nodded with a smile. "So, should we get the check?"

"I was thinking the same thing." Cappie alerted their waitress and after he paid for dinner, he hailed them a cab. Once they were in the back of the cab, Cappie put an arm around Casey and she leaned her head against his chest. He lowered his head so that he could whisper in her ear, "Thank you for having dinner with me."

Casey smiled as his breath lingered on her ear. "Anytime," she replied softly. She was going to behave, she told herself. They were going back for nothing more than pie and a drink. Once they finished their conversation, she would head back to the comfort of her bedroom at her parent's house. This may well be the last time she saw Cappie. In four days, she would be someone's wife. _If only Cappie was the groom_, Casey thought with a little sadness.

Cappie smiled down as he watched Casey's face. She was obviously deep in thought. He meant it when he said they'd go back to his place for nothing more than pie and a drink, but if anything more was to happen, he wouldn't object. He just hoped that Casey would take his words in consideration.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Five**

Cappie took the blueberry pie out of the fridge and cut two generous slices. He put them in the microwave and nuked the slices for 20 seconds just to warm them a bit. He took the vanilla gelato out of the freezer and scooped some for each plate. Casey was already sitting at his dining table and he sat across from her and handed her a plate.

"Thank you," she told him. "This looks delicious." She took a bite and sighed. "Wow, that's amazing. Where'd you get the pie from?"

"Some small bakery in the neighborhood. They make the best."

"Thank you Cappie for this night. I've been so wrapped up with wedding stuff that it's nice to have a night away from it."

"My pleasure," Cappie told her. "If you need any more distractions this week, just let me know."

"I wish," she said with a laugh. "Tomorrow is my final fitting for my dress, Thursday night is my bachelorette party, and Friday is the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. And Saturday is the day."

"I bet you look amazing in your dress." Cappie said.

"I have pictures if you want to see."

"I do." Cappie told her.

"Are you sure?" Casey reached in her purse and took a digital camera out.

"I'm sure. Now show me."

Casey opened her camera and flipped through to the ones of her in her wedding dress. "Here you go."

Cappie took the camera from her and scrolled through the pictures. The simple strapless beaded dress accentuated her curves. She looked breathtaking. "You look amazing, Casey. You're going to be a beautiful bride."

Casey blushed. "Thanks."

"Anytime," Cappie was looking intently at her as he gave her back the camera. Then Cappie cleared his throat. "So, Case, I didn't finish what I wanted to say back at the restaurant."

"I know. I did promise we could continue the conversation. So, I'm all ears." Casey pushed her empty dessert plate out of the way and gave Cappie and encouraging smile.

Cappie took her hand in his and took a breath. "I don't know why I'm so nervous."

"It's only me, Cap," Casey said squeezing his hand gently.

"Here's the thing, I've never stopped loving you." Cappie looked at her. "I've never stopped."

Casey could feel her heart melt as she heard what he said. "Oh Cap, a part of me will always love you, too. Always have, always will."

Cappie shook his head. "I'm not telling you it's a part of me that loves you, all of me does. I love you. Be with me."

Casey shook her head. "You can't do this to me, Cappie."

"Case," Cappie pleaded, "you know that we're meant to be together. We've been waiting all this time and maybe this is our chance to come back to each other."

"No Cap," Casey argued. "It doesn't work like that. I'm marrying Derek in four days and there's nothing you can say or do to change that, okay?"

"I'm giving my heart to you, Case!" Cappie exclaimed. "I'm willing to give up everything to be with you. I'll leave my job and life in Chicago to go back with you to Manhattan if that's what it takes."

Casey's eyes glittered with tears and she shook her head. "Cap, you're seven years too late." She put her head in her hands and cried.

Cappie put an arm around her. "I'm sorry Case, please don't be upset."

"I'm not upset," she said in a muffled voice. "I just wish things were different."

"You keep saying that," Cappie said quietly. "Why don't we just change things? I know you love me, too. Don't give me that 'part of me' crap. Casey, we have this undeniable connection between us. We've loved each other since we were 18-years-old. It's a love that neither of us can end. We can't let it end."

Casey lifted her head and looked at Cappie. "You have to let me go, Cap. You did it once, you can do it again. Our time has passed, okay?"

Cappie leaned his head towards hers. "You really want me to let you go?"

Casey nodded. "Let me go, Cap," she whispered.

Cappie nodded in agreement. "Okay, Case, if you want me to let you go, then consider it done."

"Thank you." Casey said softly. "I really should get going."

"Sure," Cappie said dejectedly.

"Thanks for dinner and dessert. I wish you a wonderful life Cappie."

"I wish the same for you." Cappie gave her a small smile.

Casey put her jacket on and walked towards the front doors. Cappie followed her and they both stopped once they were at the doors. Casey turned around and faced Cappie. "I guess this is good-bye for now. I'm sure we'll see each other in a year at Rusty and Jordan's wedding."

"Good-bye Casey. Have a great wedding."

"I will." Casey leaned in to hug Cappie and he wrapped his arms around her. Casey stepped back and looked at him one more time before she opened the doors and walked out. She hurried over to the elevators and pressed the down button. "Come on," she said under her breath.

Just then she felt someone behind her. "Casey, you forgot something." Cappie said in a soft voice.

Casey turned around, "What?"

"This," and before she could react Cappie pulled her against him and kissed her. As their kiss ended, Cappie held on to her. "Stay with me, Case," he whispered in her ear.

The elevator doors opened and Casey moved his arms from around her. "I'm sorry Cap," and she got on the elevator and the doors shut before Cappie could do anything else. Once she was on the first floor she left the building and hailed the first cab she saw. Her phone was ringing and she looked at the screen and saw it was Cappie through her blurred vision. She shut her phone off and settled back against the seat as the cab drove towards her parent's house. All in all, tonight had been a big mistake. She knew she shouldn't have let herself be alone with Cappie. He always managed to make her think irrationally. All she knew was that from now until her wedding day, she would live a Cappie free life. She had to for both their sakes.

* * *

Cappie begrudgingly walked back into his apartment and shut the doors and locked it. He grabbed his phone and called her. It went straight to Casey's voicemail. "Case, it's me. Please give me another chance to talk. Things are not over between us. Please call me."

He went into the kitchen and picked up their plates and rinsed them in the sink. How could she just leave like that? He knew that Casey felt the same way about him as he did about her. She was merely hiding herself behind her relationship with Derek. He thought that Casey would've dropped everything once she heard the truth from him. He hadn't loved anyone like he loved her in the past seven years. He was always waiting for her to come back.

When Rusty told him she had started dating Derek, her high school sweetheart, it had killed him. Then at Rusty and Jordan's engagement party, Casey and Derek were there together looking like the perfect couple. Derek had that all-American clean cut good looks. How could he compete with that? He was an idiot to think that Casey would just up and leave Derek for him.

His thoughts were interrupted as his Blackberry ranged. "Case?" He asked.

"It's Rusty."

"Hey Spitter, what's up?"

"What did you say to her?" Rusty asked in a serious tone.

"I just told her the truth. I still love her." Cappie said.

"You told me you weren't going to interfere in her relationship, Cap. She just came in the doors and she ran up to her room in tears. How could you do this?" Rusty asked.

"I'm sorry, Rusty," Cappie sighed. "I had to tell her the truth. I can't just stand by and let her marry someone else when she's still in love with me, too."

"Cappie, she's marrying Derek on Saturday. There's nothing you can do about it, okay? I just wish you had kept those feelings to yourself. Why did you wait all this time to tell her?"

"I don't know Rusty, I ask myself the same thing."

"Well, maybe you need to get out there and find someone else Cappie. Being alone all these years is not good for you. You've been doing too much thinking and it's not good."

"You're right." Cappie said with a sad chuckle. "Maybe I do need to find someone else."

"But for what it's worth, I'm sorry that things didn't work out the way you wanted them to. I know you care very much about my sister." Rusty told him gently.

"She's one in a million Rusty. I'm glad you found yours. I had mine and I let her go. Biggest mistake of my life. But don't worry, Casey set me straight. I get it now. She's getting married and there's nothing I can do. Thanks for calling, bro, but if you don't mind, I'd like to be alone now."

"I'm really sorry Cap." Rusty said.

"Thanks. Bye." Cappie hung up before Rusty could say anything else. "Damn it," he muttered to himself. Things definitely did not go his way tonight and he lost Casey forever. Cappie grabbed the black cord around his neck and ripped it off. He tossed the cord on the dining table and made his way to his bedroom. As he turned and shut the lights off in the kitchen, the ZBZ letters gleamed in the fading darkness at him as if teasing him about his loss.


	6. Chapter 6

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Six**

Casey was in no mood to go and try on her dress that afternoon. After last night, she had gone up to her room and cried for hours. She was hoping that she could make it into the house without anyone seeing her, but Rusty was still up and he had asked her if she was okay. She just ignored him and went to her room. Rusty had come by her room but she told him to leave her alone. She didn't want anyone bothering her.

After all this time, Cappie finally told her he still loved her. She wasn't sure why she was upset – because he had told her or because it had taken him such a long time. In her heart, she knew it was the latter. She had waited for him all these years and he waited until she was with someone else, days away from marrying someone else. _Good timing, Cap_, she thought bitterly. She looked at the clock beside her bed and saw that it was almost 10:00. Her fitting was at 1:00. She needed to get out of bed and get ready for the day.

Casey got in the shower and stood under the hot water, enjoying the streams cascading down her body. As hard as she tried not to think about Cappie, she couldn't help herself. She had a great time with him last night up until the very end. She enjoyed their dinner and she could see herself falling back into a comfortable routine with him. It killed her that she left him, but she had to. When Cappie had asked her to stay with him, she was ready to give in, but those thoughts were erased as the elevator doors opened and brought her back to reality. She was getting married in a few days. If she didn't leave, her fiancé would wonder where she was. She couldn't disappear two times and it wouldn't be fair if Ashleigh had to cover for her again. Besides, Ashleigh would kill her if she had spent another night with Cappie.

Casey got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around her and made her way back to her room. She grabbed her phone and saw that she had several missed calls – four from Derek and only one from Cappie. She was kind of shocked as she only saw Cappie's number once. Casey groaned as she realized her disappointment. _It's not a big deal,_ she told herself. She listened to her voicemail messages; the first one was from Derek telling her he loved her and good night and the second one was from Cappie. She closed her eyes as she listened to his message and heard the pain in his voice. He wanted another chance to talk. _Oh Cap,_ she thought sullenly.

Her phone trilled loudly and it made her jump. She looked at the screen and saw it was Ashleigh. "Hey Ash," she said, trying to sound normal.

"Case, where are you?" Ashleigh asked.

"At my parent's. I'll be leaving here in 15 minutes for the fitting." Casey told her.

"Bex and I will meet you there. Are Jordan and Stacy coming with you?"

"I don't think so, why?"

"Hello, bridesmaid dresses. We have to make sure the dresses fit all of us, too." Ashleigh told her.

"But you guys got your dresses months ago. Why do you need to get them fitted again?" Casey asked.

"Case, I'm your MOH. Everything's under control. I just want to make sure all the bridesmaids look perfect, alright?"

"Okay, I trust you Ash. I'm still getting ready, so can you call Jordan and Stacy and ask them if they'll make it to the fitting."

"Sure, see you soon."

"See ya, bye." Casey chirped and hung up the phone. It was crazy for the bridesmaids to also try on their dresses since they got theirs a while ago. Now with Rebecca, Ashleigh, Jordan, and Derek's sister Stacy getting their dresses fitted, too, her fitting was going to take longer than usual.

Casey looked in her closet for something to wear. She slipped into a coral pink strapless dress. The coral looked great against her golden sun-kissed skin. The skirt of the dress fell right above her knees. She slipped her feet into cream colored espadrille sandals. Casey dried her hair and it fell straight down her back. She applied moisturizer to her face and added lip gloss. She looked in the mirror and smiled at her reflection. She grabbed a white cardigan and her purse and made her way down the stairs. As she grabbed her car keys and made her way to her car, she squared her shoulders back and walked with an air of confidence. _It's show time, _she thought_, time to pretend that I'm a happy bride._

* * *

Ashleigh was watching the doors, keeping an eye out for her best friend. Something was definitely going on. She could hear it in Casey's voice. She just hoped it had nothing to do with Cappie. The guy may have been good for Casey at CRU, but she needed someone that could take care of her and Derek was the perfect catch.

Ashleigh stifled a yawn and checked her watch. It was almost 1:00 and there was still no sign of Casey, Jordan, or Stacy. Ashleigh had gotten a hold of Jordan and she was making her way over to the bridal shop with Stacy. Just then Ashleigh saw the familiar blonde and leaped over to grab her.

"Casey, just in time," she said, linking arms with her best friend. "Cute dress, by the way."

Casey laughed. "Thanks. I'm not feeling so great so I figured I could at least look it."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the bride," Rebecca said, joining them and gave Casey a hug. "Your mom and Derek's mom are on their way. We're all looking forward to seeing the final fitting."

"I guess, I better go and put it on then. Meet you in the back." Casey went over and greeted Annette, the owner of the shop.

"Hello Casey," Annette said, giving her a small peck on the cheek. "Your dress is going to look perfect on you. Come on, let's go back."

Casey followed Annette and they made their way to one of the private dressing areas. Her wedding dress was hanging on a silk frame. Casey smiled as she smoothed the bodice of her dress. It was everything she wanted. The strapless bodice was simple and made of the softest material, but it was the skirt that made up for the simplicity of her top. The skirt was full and layered with tulle studded with Swarovski crystals. It shimmered beautifully in the right light.

Casey took off her coral pink dress and slipped her wedding dress on. Annette helped button up the back of her dress. The tiny pearl buttons were lovely and delicate and needed gentle care. Casey grabbed her wedding shoes out of the shopping bag she brought. They were silver open toe d'orsay Manolo Blahniks with an oval rhinestone detail. Once the heels were on, she stood on the platform in front of the three-way mirrors and looked at herself. It was perfect. She almost didn't recognize the woman staring back at her.

Before she could control it, Casey started crying. "I'm so sorry, Annette," she said between sniffles.

"Oh, my dear, there's no need for apologies. You look exquisite. Any woman would cry if they saw how beautiful you looked. I'll leave you alone for a moment."

Casey merely nodded and grabbed a tissue out of her purse and dabbed at her eyes. The truth was that she was scared out of her mind about getting married on Saturday. She looked the part and all, but she wasn't sure she felt it. Was she making a big mistake here? Cappie said all the right things, all the things she'd been feeling, but was she too much of a coward? That was it, wasn't it? She was a coward.

Before Casey could ponder some more, she was joined in the dressing area by Rebecca and Ashleigh. They both were staring at her with big smiles on their faces.

"Casey, you look amazing," Ashleigh declared. "Wow is all I have to say."

"You really do look amazing," Rebecca agreed. "But what's with the tears?" She asked with concern.

"It's nothing. I'm just happy. These are happy tears." Casey said unconvincingly.

"Come on, Case," Rebecca teased. "We're your best friends; we know all your moods. Something's definitely up."

"Really, it's nothing, okay? I just can't believe that I'll be married in a few days. Maybe I'm a little stressed."

Ashleigh and Rebecca crossed their arms across their chests and looked at her. They turned to each other and said, "Cappie."

"What are you talking about? Cappie? What about him?" Casey said nonchalantly.

"You're still thinking about last week, aren't you?" Rebecca asked.

Casey gave Ashleigh a look. "I thought we were keeping this on the down low, Ash. I should've known; you were never good with secrets."

"I just noticed you were a little off last week and Ashleigh sort of mentioned that you met up with him. So, I kind of put the rest together." Rebecca said brightly.

Casey looked at her friends' faces and tilted her head to the side. "I saw him again," Casey started hesitantly, "last night." Ashleigh walked towards Casey and pinched her arm. "Ow. Will you stop doing that?"

"No, I won't. How could you do this? Two times in two weeks. Gosh Case, I never figured you to be a cheater." Ashleigh said with disgust.

"I just had dinner with him last night. That's all. Cross my heart and hope to die, poke a needle in my eye, I promise."

"You might have to if you don't stop this behavior Case." Rebecca gave her a concerned look. "I know how hard it was when you and Cappie broke up. But, what are you doing? Seeing him days before your wedding?"

"I know," Casey said looking down at her feet.

"You need to stop thinking about Cappie and move forward. You still want to marry Derek right?" Ashleigh asked.

Casey looked at her friends' faces and nodded. "It's the right thing to do. Cappie's too late."

"Wait a sec," Rebecca interjected. "What do you mean by Cappie's too late?"

"After our dinner yesterday, he told me he's never stopped loving me. He wants me to be with him." Casey admitted.

"The nerve of him!" Ashleigh exclaimed. "How selfish is he? He's doing what he always does best, Casey. He completely takes over you and you'll do anything for him."

"Hey, give me some credit here." Casey argued. "I told him there was nothing left between us, okay? I left him. He declared his love for me and I walked away."

"It doesn't sound like you wanted that," Rebecca observed. "From where I'm standing, it's obvious your feelings are conflicted."

"Well, I made it clear to Cappie that I don't want to see him or talk to him. Cappie and I are done. We said our last words and that's that."

Ashleigh put an arm around Casey and said, "I am very happy to hear that."

Casey smiled a little and looked at Rebecca. Rebecca gave her a small smile and said, "If that's what you want, then good for you." But Casey could tell that Rebecca wanted to say more on the subject.

Casey smoothed back her hair and looked at her friends. "Why don't you guys get in your dresses? I think the "Q &A" portion of this conversation is over. Let's think happy thoughts."

Ashleigh clapped her hands and grabbed her garment bag and made her way to one of the dressing rooms. Rebecca lingered just a bit so that she could be alone with Casey.

"Casey, if you really love Cappie, then go be with him." Rebecca told her.

Casey looked at Rebecca with shock. "Wow, I thought you would've told me to snap out of it or something. You're actually encouraging me to be with Cappie."

"Well, Evan and Cap hang out from time-to-time and he knows that Cappie has never gotten over you. Why do you think I broke up with him?" Rebecca said with an assuring smile. Rebecca reached out and grabbed her hand. "Seriously, Casey, if you love Cappie, then you should be with him."

"Why are you saying this to me? As a bridesmaid, aren't you supposed to convince me to get married?"

"If it's to the wrong guy, then I definitely will say something." Rebecca told her with a smile.

"It's so weird that you and Ash have such different opinions about Cappie and Derek."

"Well, I've known Cappie longer than I have Derek and Cap's a good guy. He deserves happiness, Case."

"How come he hasn't found anyone?"

"He did. You." Rebecca said. "Trust me, he's tried dating other women, but he won't let himself get close to them. He's been waiting for you. He's still waiting."

"Bex, if you knew all this, why didn't you tell me?" Casey asked.

"By the time I knew about it, you were already dating Derek. And you seemed happy, so I let it go."

"Well, I appreciate you telling me this. I guess I have three days to decide what I'm going to do."

"If you need to talk, just know I'm here for you, okay?" Rebecca told her.

"Thanks Bex." Casey smiled at her friend as she made her way to try her dress on. After the revelation from Rebecca, Casey was even more confused. She couldn't be in love with two men, could she? She knew in her heart that she loved Derek very much. She wasn't sure if it really was love with Cappie or just the emotions of being in the same room with him. He hadn't been a part of her life for seven years.

Casey looked at her reflection and grimaced. The woman in the wedding gown staring back at her was a fake. "Who are you?" Casey muttered under her breath. She shook her head of these thoughts as she turned around and smiled at the women coming into the room. She would have to deal with everything later – the sooner, the better.

* * *

**A/N: Thank you so much for reading and reviews. On my profile page, I added a link to the Manolo Blahnik's Casey wears for her wedding. Check it out. Thanks for reading!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry it's been a while since I last updated. Here are the next 3 chapters in my fanfic. Hope you enjoy and please review!**

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* * *

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**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Seven**

Casey was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. In a couple of hours, Ashleigh and Rebecca would pick her up and they would make their way to her bachelorette party. She wasn't really in the mood, but she knew Ashleigh had spent a lot of time to make it a great night. All she knew was that she was supposed to wear pink and black. She looked at the outfit she put together. It was hanging outside her closet. Casey decided on a hot pink off-the-shoulder top and a black pencil skirt.

After yesterday's fitting, she had lunch with her bridesmaids, her mom, and future mother-in-law. It had been an exhausting day and she was looking forward to some down time, but Ashleigh and Rebecca decided she needed to be pampered, so she spent the rest of the day getting a massage, pedicure, and manicure. Casey was ready to call it a night but then Derek called and wanted to grab dinner, so she met up with him.

It was nice to see her fiancé. Casey and Derek were so occupied with the wedding that they hadn't really spent time together since being back in Chicago. He was off with his friends and relatives getting the venue ready and she was busy with her family and friends. Tomorrow night, their close friends and family would gather for the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Derek's mom, Janine, was a fabulous cook and they were hosting the dinner at Derek's family's spacious home.

As Casey sat across from Derek at dinner, she studied his face. He was unbelievably handsome. Derek's dark hair was full and always simply styled with a little gel. He had beautiful light brown eyes that always lit up when he smiled. His smile was accentuated by his dimples. As perfect as Derek looked, Casey couldn't help but think about Cappie's look. She didn't care that he wasn't perfectly sculpted or looked like a god; Cappie had a certain charm about him that made him ten times more attractive than the next guy. She hadn't heard from him since Monday. She only had the voicemail that he left, and truth be told, she hadn't erased it from her phone. She knew she had done the right thing leaving his apartment. She was getting married in two days.

Casey sighed and turned on her side. She brought her legs up until she was in the fetal position. Maybe she should start getting ready. She needed a nice and long hot shower to calm her nerves and relax her. Casey got out of her bed and started to undress. As she grabbed her robe, she heard her cell phone beep. She grabbed her phone and saw a text message from Cappie. All it said was "I need to see you." Her phone beeped again, another text from Cappie containing one word: "Please". Casey was tempted to text him back, but she decided against it. For both their sakes, she had to let him go. She couldn't encourage things by responding to him. She didn't want to hurt Cappie any more than she already had.

Casey made her way to the bathroom and turned on the water. "Sorry Cap," she said quietly as she got into the tub. As the water fell upon her, Casey let her tears out. At least in the shower, nobody could hear her.

* * *

Cappie stared at his phone, waiting for Casey's response. He knew it was a gamble to text her, but he really needed to see her. Her marriage was in two days and he didn't want to lose her. He still had a chance to convince her to be with him. Well, if she wasn't going to come to him, he would have to go to her. He knew Rusty wouldn't give him any more information about where Casey would be tonight, but he knew someone else that could.

Cappie pressed a button and it started ringing. The person picked up after three rings. "Hello?"

"Hey Chambers, it's Cap."

"Hey Cap, what's up?" Evan Chambers said brightly. Over the years, he and Evan had kept in touch and got together a few times each year. Evan and Rebecca had been together since they left CRU and she was one of Casey's bridesmaids. Rebecca would reveal everything to her boyfriend.

"I need a big favor." Cappie said quietly.

He could hear Evan sigh. "That depends. How much trouble am I going to get into?"

Cappie chuckled. "I need to know where Casey's going to be tonight."

"Geez Cap, that's dangerous territory there. Are you trying to get me in trouble? Like Rebecca would even tell me. It's a bachelorette party."

"Can you try at least? I'm going crazy here because I need to see Casey." Cappie pleaded.

"Cap, you gotta leave her alone, man. This isn't CRU anymore. You can't try to win her back. She's about to make a lifelong commitment to someone else. Don't do that to her. If you love her, you have to let her go." Evan said.

"I do love her, but I can't just sit back and watch her marry another guy. She still feels the same way about me. I know she does."

"Cappie, I know it sucks, but you've got to move on."

"I can't move on. I have to see her one more time. And I promise, if she doesn't want anything to do with me, then I'll leave her be. I won't try anything else."

"Are you sure you want to promise that?" Evan asked.

Cappie took a few seconds to think about it. "If it's what she wants, I'll honor her wishes."

Evan sighed. "I guess I can try and find out from Rebecca, but if my girlfriend gets mad at me, you owe me some drinks."

"Drinks it is then my friend. Let me know as soon as you find out."

"Will do."

"Thanks, man, I appreciate it." As he hung up the phone, Cappie felt a little weight off his shoulders. _At least I tried_, he thought. Hopefully Evan would call him back with good news.

Cappie tried to read through some cases, but clearly his mind wasn't in it. He kept staring at his phone, willing it to ring. After what felt like an eternity, his phone started ringing. He was relieved when he saw Evan's name. "Hey," he said after picking up.

"You're lucky Rebecca wasn't pissed about me asking. She actually seemed happy that you're interested in finding out where the girls are going to be tonight."

"How so?" Cappie asked.

"She wouldn't say, but the girls are going to be at Club Avia. They'll be there by eight at the latest."

"Thanks Chambers. I do owe you some drinks anyway. How long are you in town for?"

"I'll be here till the middle of next week. Rebecca will be heading back to San Diego before me, but I'm going to work in our Chicago office for a few days before heading home. Let's do dinner and drinks sometime before I leave."

"Sounds good. Just let me know which night works best for you." Cappie said.

"No prob. I guess you have your night cut out for you." Evan teased.

"It would seem so." Cappie said with a chuckle. "Wish me luck. And thanks again for getting the info."

After they ended their conversation, Cappie decided to head home. He couldn't bear to be in his office any longer. He would go home and take a relaxing shower before heading to Club Avia to get his girl back. He just hoped that the plan wouldn't blow up in his face. He wasn't sure if he could take any more rejection.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Eight**

Casey had to admit, she was having a blast. Ashleigh had gotten them on the VIP list at Club Avia and she was having a great time doing shots and having free drinks. She was wearing a tiara that read "Bachelorette" and around her neck she had layers and layers of beads. Ashleigh and Rebecca had handed out beaded necklaces to hot guys in the club and the guys had to put the necklaces on her and give her kisses on the cheek. She had been interrupted so many times that she could barely dance or talk to her friends. She now had a moment alone near the bar and she was relieved. She looked down at her strappy heels and groaned. Her feet were killing her. She should've worn her sensible flats, but once Ashleigh and Rebecca saw her in her flats, they scolded her and grabbed the heels and forced them on her.

She smiled as she looked at her friends on the crowded dance floor. True to form, every one of her girls was in pink and black. Besides Ashleigh, Rebecca, and Jordan; other ZBZ sisters were in town for the wedding – Betsy, Laura, Cara, Beth, Abby, and Lisa. A few of Casey's high school friends were also in the crowd. The night began with them picking her up in a limo and they had a few bottles of champagne to celebrate. At Club Avia, Ashleigh had arranged a sushi dinner. They had been dancing for the last couple of hours.

"Who's the lucky guy?" A male voice said behind her.

"His name's Derek," Casey said brightly, turning to face the person. Her smile dropped as she faced Cappie. "Cap, what are you doing here?"

"If Mohammed won't go to the mountain," Cappie said, "you know the rest. Anyway, I needed to see you."

"How did you know I'd be here?" Casey crossed her arms across her chest.

"A little birdie told me." Cappie looked down at her and he could see her face softening. "But I really wanted to see you."

"Why?" Casey asked, putting a hand on his arm.

"I didn't like the way things ended Tuesday night. I wanted you to stay with me." Cappie leaned close so she could hear him.

"Cappie, you have to let me go." Casey pleaded.

Cappie took her hand in his. "I don't want to let you go. Let's go somewhere quiet and talk."

Casey's eyes widened. "Cappie, I can't just ditch my party. All my friends are here, they'll freak out if I leave with you."

"Then meet me later. My place. Come over anytime."

"I don't know, Cap," Casey said.

"Please?" Cappie pleaded.

Casey looked at Cappie's face and saw how sincere he looked. His blue eyes were full of hope and she knew she couldn't say no. "Okay, I'll come over later. I'll call you when I'm on my way."

Cappie leaned down and kissed her lightly. "Thanks Case, see you soon."

Before she could react, Cappie was gone. Casey touched her lips and for a moment she thought she had imagined that Cappie had been here. She knew in her heart it was easier to say she had to let Cappie go, but once faced with him standing in front of her, her heart knew it impossible to follow through on that.

* * *

Ashleigh's eyes narrowed as she looked for her best friend on the dance floor. Tonight had been an amazing night. The limo and champagne, the sushi dinner, and the hot guys made for a great evening. Casey looked like she was having a lot of fun. For the last 10 minutes, she couldn't see her friend in the crowd.

Ashleigh gasped as she saw Casey over at the bar with Cappie. _The nerve of that guy_, she thought bitterly. As Casey's best friend, she knew Casey didn't have the best judgment when it came to Cappie. She was once a supporter of Cappie, but things were different now. They weren't in college anymore. Cappie couldn't continue being at the center of Casey's world. He was the one that let Casey go seven years earlier and her best friend had called crying everyday for a year because she missed Cappie that much. Hell would freeze over before she let Casey go back to Cappie.

Ashleigh was even more annoyed when she saw Cappie lean down and kiss Casey. She needed to talk to Casey and knock some sense into her, but not before she had some words with Cappie. She saw him going towards the doors and she rushed over before he could leave. Cappie spotted her and stopped in his tracks.

"Hey Ashleigh," he said sheepishly.

"You have some nerve," Ashleigh said, crossing her arms across her chest.

"Excuse me?" Cappie asked.

"How dare you try and come back into Casey's life?" Ashleigh said a little too loudly, causing bystanders to stare at them.

"I'm sorry if I upset you Ashleigh, but Casey can make her own decisions." Cappie responded.

"No she can't, not when it comes to _you._" Ashleigh said bitterly. "I've seen it far too much. Casey doesn't have good judgment when it comes to you and it just annoys me that you're trying to come between her and Derek."

"I'm not trying anything," Cappie argued. "I just don't want Casey to do anything she regrets."

"Marrying a good man like Derek is not a regrettable thing. But sleeping with you days before her wedding is. How dare you manipulate her and play on her feelings like that?"

"I love her, Ashleigh," Cappie pleaded. "I would never want to hurt Casey."

"If you love her so much, why did you let her go? She called me crying every day for a year because she missed you so much. It killed me to see her go through that and I will not let you do that to her again." Ashleigh said coldly.

"And I've regretted that decision for the past seven years. Trust me, I know." Cappie told her. "All I want to do is talk to Casey and whatever she decides, I'll respect her wishes."

"Cappie!" Ashleigh exclaimed. "You. Don't. Get. It." Ashleigh enunciated each word frostily. "Casey is getting married on Saturday. You are seven years too late, damn it! Leave her alone."

Cappie and Ashleigh stood their ground staring at each other. Cappie finally shrugged his shoulders. "Look Ashleigh, I get that you're looking out for Casey, but shouldn't she decide what she wants?"

Ashleigh rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Whatever you have planned with Casey is not going to happen. I'm going to keep my eyes on her and be by her side all night. So if you've planned a little rendezvous, you can forget about it."

Before Cappie could respond, Ashleigh turned her back on him and walked back towards the dance floor. Cappie called her name and went after her. He gently grabbed Ashleigh's arm. "Ashleigh," Cappie pleaded.

Ashleigh gasped and without thinking, she slapped him across the face. "Don't you ever touch me!"

Cappie stared at her in disbelief. "Wow Ashleigh, is that how you really feel about me?"

Ashleigh shrugged. "To be honest, I don't really think much of you."

"I see," Cappie said quietly. "I guess you've made your point. I'm not going to try and convince you to like me. Have a nice life."

Ashleigh watched Cappie turn around and walk out the doors of the club. She folded her arms across her chest and sighed. She didn't care if his feelings were hurt; besides she was concerned about Casey, not Cappie. And it served him right trying to interfere with her best friend's relationship. Being Maid-of-Honor meant one thing on Saturday – get the bride to the altar. There was no way she was going to let Casey ruin her future with Derek. Ashleigh headed in the direction of her best friend. She had to make sure to stick to Casey's side and not let her out of her sights. There was no way Casey Cartwright was meeting up with Cappie. She'd make sure of that.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Nine**

Casey checked her watch and saw that it was close to midnight. Her friends didn't seem to want the night to end. She had promised Cappie that she'd make it over to his place, but now that it was getting so late, she didn't know if it was a good idea or not. She had stopped drinking an hour ago, so she was actually doing okay and thinking clearly. Unfortunately that couldn't be said about some of her friends. Ashleigh was completely wasted and kept crying to Casey to take care of her. Every time Casey took a step away from the group, Ashleigh would call out for her. It was actually starting to get on her nerves.

She needed to get the girls home safely. She figured the limo could take everyone back to the Four Seasons and she could take a cab to Cappie's. She looked at Rebecca who seemed pretty sober as well. If there was someone who might understand her situation, it'd be her. Casey walked over to her friend and smiled at her. "Hey Bex," Casey said.

Rebecca gave her a big smile and ran a hand through her dark hair. "Wasn't this a great night?"

Casey nodded. "You guys outdid yourself. But I'm getting pretty tired here and so are half the other girls. Will you be okay to get the girls back to the Four Seasons?"

"Of course, the limo can take us back. What about you? The limo can bring you back to your parents."

Casey knew she was blushing as she told Rebecca the truth. "Actually, I have somewhere I need to be."

Rebecca's eyes lit up. "Are you meeting Cappie?"

Casey rolled her eyes. "It's nothing like that. He stopped by here earlier and asked me to meet him. And I couldn't say no."

Rebecca's smile widened. "I told him we'd be here."

"Bex!" Casey exclaimed. "Why would you do that?"

"Well, I technically didn't tell him, it was more he called Evan to find out where we'd be and I told Evan and he told Cappie."

Casey got quiet and stared straight ahead. "What am I going to do, Bex? What if he asks me to leave Derek for him? My heart is torn between them both. How can I marry someone when I may be in love with someone else? To be honest, I'm not sure if what I'm feeling with Cappie is love; it could just be old memories stirring up emotions."

Rebecca put an arm around Casey's shoulder. "The best you can do is listen to the guy at least. And then you can decide what you want to do. I'm not going to tell you what you should or shouldn't do. It's your decision."

"I'm so happy I'm having this conversation with you and not Ashleigh. She'd probably slap me silly and tell me to forget about Cappie."

"I learned a long time ago that someone can't tell you what to do. We have the right to make our decisions and live our lives the way we want to. Just know that whatever you decide to do, I'm here for you no matter what."

"Thanks Bex," Casey said giving her friend a hug. "It definitely helps. Anyways, I'm going to take off. I think Ashleigh is too drunk to notice I'll be missing from the group. Cover for me?"

"Anytime Case." Rebecca said. "Get on out of here. I'll take care of everyone. See you tomorrow."

"See ya," Casey said as she took off the tiara and beaded necklaces. She stuffed the items into her purse and pulled her phone out and dialed Cappie's number. He picked up after the first couple of rings. "Hey, it's me," she said quietly. "I hope I didn't wake you."

Cappie cleared his throat. "Hey Casey. It's good to hear your voice."

Casey smiled. "I feel the same way. Anyways, I finally can get away from the group. Do you still want me to come over?"

"Of course, I would never refuse the company of a beautiful woman. Just buzz my apartment and I'll let you in."

"Great. I'm going to grab a cab so I'll see you in 10-15 minutes. See you soon."

"You, too," Cappie replied.

Casey knew she was smiling like an idiot as she hung up the phone. She was pulling her jacket on when she felt eyes on her. She looked up and groaned inwardly as Ashleigh gave her a somewhat menacing look. Ashleigh stumbled towards her.

"What are you doing, Casey?" Ashleigh asked, slurring her words a little.

"I'm going home," Casey told her.

"Why don't you come back to the Four Seasons with us?"

"It's okay. I'm taking a cab home. Rebecca will take good care of you." Casey told her gently.

"But I want you to take care of me." Ashleigh reached a hand out to Casey.

"Ash, thanks so much for planning my party. It was wonderful, but I'm tired and I want to go home and sleep in my bed." Casey told her.

Asheligh's eyes narrowed. "You mean you want to sleep in Cappie's bed." She said coldly.

Casey gasped. "No, that's not what I meant. I'm going home."

"You're such a bad liar, Casey," Ashleigh's voice was getting louder by now. "You just want to get over to Cappie's so you can have sex with him."

"Ashleigh!" Casey exclaimed. "What is wrong with you?"

"If you want to be a slut, just don't lie about it. I mean, you've already slept with him once, who's to say you won't do it again."

Casey felt like she'd been slapped. "Do you want the truth? Fine, I am going over to Cappie's, but I don't have any intentions of sleeping with him. I want to give him the benefit of the doubt to tell me what he needs to. I owe him that at least."

Ashleigh was laughing by now. "Casey, you are so naïve. That bastard dumped your ass seven years ago, and now that you're getting married, he wants to come back into your life and you're just letting him! You're so pathetic. Derek doesn't deserve this."

"How come all of a sudden you're such a supporter for Derek? It's always Derek this and Derek that, maybe you're the pathetic one pining over my fiancé." Casey replied.

"How dare you?" Ashleigh screamed. "How could you say something like that to me?"

"Like calling me a slut makes you a saint?" Casey retorted. By now, their friends were observing them with their mouth's hanging open. Casey felt ashamed as she looked at their faces. "I'm so sorry," she said to them. "I'm completely out of line." She turned to Ashleigh, "Look, Ash, I know you're looking out for me, but you have to believe me and trust me when I say that I'm going over to Cappie's to talk to him. He was a big part of my life and I can't get married until things are cleared up and finalized between us."

Ashleigh sighed. "Whatever. It's your grave." She turned her back on Casey and made her way towards the VIP room.

Casey blinked the tears back. She wasn't going to cry in front of everyone. She gave her friends a small smile and made her way towards the doors. She breathed in some fresh air as she waited for a cab. It didn't take more than three minutes before she could hail one. As she gave the driver Cappie's address, she sat back and closed her eyes. She just hoped that tonight would clear things up between her and Cappie. She needed for this thing to be over. She was going to marry Derek on Saturday which meant her and Cappie's relationship would be over for good. Despite knowing that this was the best decision, Casey was dreading their conversation. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Cappie opened a cabernet sauvignon and poured himself a generous glass. He was allowing the wine to breathe a bit before taking more sips. He was so happy that Casey was coming over. When he saw her earlier at Club Avia, she looked gorgeous. Her blonde hair fell in waves down her back. Her outfit accentuated her figure. He promised himself he'd behave. They would talk and nothing more. _Unless Casey initiates it_, he thought with a smile.

He checked his watch; almost 25 minutes had gone by since he talked to her. He hoped she hadn't chickened out and decided not to come. Just then Cappie's buzzer went off. He smiled as he pressed the button to let Casey into the building. Any minute now, he thought. Now that the realization hit that she was on her way up to his place, he started getting nervous.

There was a soft knock at the door. Cappie went over to open it and gave Casey a big smile as she walked into his place. "Hi," he told her.

Casey blushed. "Hi back," she teased.

"Would you care for a glass of wine?" Cappie offered.

"Sure, that sounds lovely." Casey took off her jacket and laid it over a chair.

Cappie snuck a peek at her from the kitchen where he was pouring wine into a glass. The shirt she was wearing hugged her curves in all the right places and the skirt was tight, in a good way. _Must keep hands to myself_, he thought. He brought the glass of wine out to Casey and gestured for her to sit on the couch. He sat next to her.

"Thanks Cap," Casey said, taking a sip. "This is delicious."

"I went to Napa over the summer and had a bunch of wine shipped back to Chicago. This is a Duckhorn Cab. Good stuff."

"I love it. Good on the palate." Casey cleared her throat and gave him a small smile. "Well, I'm here. What more do we need to talk about?"

Cappie cleared his throat and set his glass on the coffee table. He took one of Casey's hands in his. "I hate that you're getting married. I just wish there was time for us to be together again."

Casey nodded. "I know. I wish there was more time for us, too."

"Do you have to get married?" Cappie asked with a chuckle.

Casey wasn't laughing. Instead she reached out and put a hand against Cappie's cheek. "I wish I could say no," she told him quietly.

He leaned his cheek into her palm. "Yeah," he agreed. "This sucks. I don't want to lose you Case."

"I wish I could say 'let's be friends' but it'd be too hard. I guess we had our time and we lost it. We can't go back."

"We could move forward together." He gave her a hopeful look.

Casey gave him a small smile. "I wish we could, Cap, but it's too late. I've vowed to spend the rest of my life with Derek. He's been my life for the past three years. I owe him that much to meet him at the altar."

Cappie turned his gaze away from hers and sighed. "I'm going to respect your wishes then. I'm not going to sit here and try to convince you to change your mind."

Casey was a little shocked. She hadn't expected Cappie to comply with all this. "I'm surprised. I thought you'd make it harder for me."

"Truth be told, I would've but then I ran into Ashleigh at the club and she said some pretty brutal things. And I guess in some ways she's right." Cappie shrugged and took a sip of his wine.

Casey groaned. "What did she say?"

"That I'm an idiot. I was the one that let you go all those years ago. I have no right to try and come back into your life."

"I'm sorry, Cap," Casey said, putting a hand on his. "She's been pretty opinionated about you and me all week. I've gotten some choice words from her, too. Please don't let what she said get to you."

"I'm trying not to let it get to me, but it definitely hurts to hear it. I guess a part of me believed that you'd leave him and you'd want to be with me again." Cappie said.

"Well, I'll be honest, up until two weeks ago, I was pretty certain about Derek, but seeing you again has definitely challenged that certainty. I'm not sure if what I'm feeling about you right now is real or just a trip down memory lane." Casey said with a small smile.

"I'm sorry that I tried to break you guys up. Maybe I'm just trying to hold on to this as long as I can so that I don't actually have to try with another woman." Cappie leaned back against the couch and tilted his head back and sighed.

"Yeah," was all Casey could mutter.

Cappie squeezed her hand and looked at her. "You were the one, Case. And I will always regret letting you go. I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life."

Casey grabbed a tissue and dabbed at her eyes and thought about what Cappie just said. "I really wished things were different, too. I used to imagine us getting married one day."

Cappie pulled Casey against his chest for a hug. "Oh Case," he sighed.

Casey closed her eyes as she leaned against his chest and breathed in his familiar scent. It felt so right to be in his arms like this. She ran a hand through his hair. "Cappie?" She asked quietly.

"Yeah?" Cappie responded.

Casey leaned her head back and looked at him. She looked into his blue eyes and touched a hand against his cheek. "I don't want to get your hopes up about anything."

"What do you mean?" Cappie asked quietly.

"I don't know what's going to happen on Saturday, but right now all I want is you." Casey whispered to him.

Cappie could feel a smile spreading on his face. "And how should I respond to a phrase like that?"

"Like this," Casey smiled as she brought Cappie's face towards hers and kissed him.

Cappie groaned with pleasure and deepened the kiss. Cappie knew he was setting himself up for disappointment, but he didn't care. He had Casey in his arms at that very moment and he was going to hold on to her as long as he could. Everything happening between them felt right.

Casey loved the feel of Cappie's lips against hers. She had no idea what had convinced her to kiss Cappie, but she knew being here with him at this moment was the only thing that mattered. She would figure everything out later.

* * *

**A/N: I promise to get the rest of the fanfic out next week. We're almost to the end. :) Happy reading!!**


	10. Chapter 10

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Ten**

Casey woke up and sat up with a start. "Oh crap," she muttered to herself. _What have I done?_ Then she realized she was fully clothed. She gently shook Cappie's shoulder. "Cap?"

Cappie stirred and opened one eye at her. "Hey," he said softly.

She looked out the window and saw that it was still dark out. She checked her watch. It read 4:10. "Did we?"

Cappie shook his head. "No, we just kissed for hours."

Casey sighed with relief. She saw the pained look on Cappie's face. "I didn't mean it like that. I'm sure it would've been amazing, but it was smart of us not to, right?"

"I guess." Cappie turned on his side to face her. "I like waking up and seeing you next to me."

Casey smiled at him and touched his arm. "Thank you for not letting anything happen."

Cappie chuckled. "Trust me, it was hard to resist. I mean, look at you. What man would be crazy enough to resist you?"

Casey could feel her cheeks flushing. "Well, my friend, you don't look so bad yourself."

"Is that so?" Cappie teased.

Casey giggled. "Definitely."

"So, it's four in the morning. What do you want to do?" Cappie asked.

"I guess I should get going." Casey sat up and stretched her arms over her head.

Cappie pouted. "Do you have to?"

Casey narrowed her eyes at him and thought about it. "Well, I don't have anything do to till later this afternoon. And it's technically still dark out. I guess I can stick around."

"Good," Cappie pulled her hand in his. "Come here," he said, as he pulled her into the nook of his arm. "This feels good."

Casey smiled. "It does feel good."

"Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you still getting married tomorrow?" Cappie asked quietly.

"I think so." Casey responded.

"Just wanted to double check."

"I'm sorry," Casey replied.

"What are you sorry for?" Cappie asked.

"I shouldn't have kissed you. I'm sorry if I mislead you." Casey whispered.

"Hey, hey, hey," Cappie said, giving her forehead a kiss. "I wanted it just as much. I knew what was happening. No hard feelings here, okay?"

Casey nodded, tears misting her eyes. "I can't believe my wedding is tomorrow."

"How did it happen?" Cappie asked.

"How did what happen?"

"How did he propose to you?"

Casey hesitated. "Do you really want to know?"

"I do." Cappie responded sadly.

"Well, it was our two year anniversary and Derek packed us a picnic for a day of relaxation in Central Park. He picked up some cupcakes for dessert and when I grabbed mine to eat, sitting on top of the frosting was this beautiful ring." Casey smiled as she recalled the story. "I was shocked and speechless when I saw it. And in front of everyone, he got down on one knee and proposed. He had asked my parents for permission months before when we were home for Christmas. So, he'd been planning for a while."

"Wow, that's pretty amazing." Cappie mused.

"Yeah, it was," Casey agreed.

"I might sound like a freak here, but I always knew how I'd want to propose to you."

"Really?" Casey asked, looking up at him. "I mean, I knew we were serious, but I didn't think you were thinking about marriage."

"Eventually I knew we'd get to that point, so I had concocted this great proposal for you."

"I want to hear it." Casey said.

"You really want to know?" Cappie teased.

"Of course." Casey urged.

"Well, I would've set up a scavenger hunt for you at CRU, leading you to some of our favorite places – the quad, the coffee shop, Dobler's, your old room at ZBZ, and finally ending up in the backyard at the KT house. The backyard would be decorated with lights and a romantic dinner would be set up for us." Cappie paused and got sad as he thought about his plan. "Dinner would consist of pies; mini quiche for appetizers, chicken pot pies for the entrée, and a trio of pies for dessert. At the end of our meal, I would get down on one knee and propose to you."

Casey smiled as she imagined being at the KT house with Cappie as he proposed. "That sounds pretty fantastic. But of all the places at CRU, why the backyard at the KT house?"

"I figured you'd know why. It was there that I laid eyes on you the first time. I remember seeing you and I knew I had to meet you."

Casey laughed. "I knew that, I just wanted to hear you say it." She put a hand on his chest and snuggled closer to him. "I wish we could've had the chance to experience it. I'm sure it would've been pretty amazing."

"Don't I know it," Cappie said. "Oh well, you snooze, you lose, right?"

"I guess," Casey said with a shrug. Her stomach started growling. They both started laughing. "I could use some food. Want to grab some breakfast?"

"How about I make you breakfast?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"I can whip up some pancakes."

Casey laughed. "That sounds excellent."

"Pancakes, coming right up," Cappie said jubilantly as he got out of bed.

"Do you have a big t-shirt or anything that I can change into for the time being? I'd like to ditch this skirt and top for now."

Cappie wiggled his eyebrows. "Nudity is not banned in this apartment."

"Ha ha," Casey mocked.

"Just check the first two drawers there. I should have plenty of shirts to choose from. I'll be in the kitchen."

Once Cappie was out of the bedroom, Casey went to the drawer to look for a shirt. As she pulled open the top drawer, she pulled the first shirt she had her hands on. The t-shirt was dark blue; she put the shirt against her to see how long it was. It was long enough to cover her butt and come to her mid thigh. She unzipped her skirt and took the top off and slid the t-shirt over her head. She smiled at how comfortable she felt. She was about to shut the drawer when she saw the corner of a photograph sticking out.

Curious, she pulled the photo out. _I haven't seen this photo in a long time,_ she thought. It was from spring break during their junior year. Everyone had gone down to Myrtle Beach. They were both waving at the camera with big smiles on their faces building a sand castle together. Of all pictures, she wasn't sure why he kept this one of them. They weren't dating during that time, but she could guess why Cappie would keep this photo. They were two people having a good time together and they were mending their friendship. She smiled as she put the photo back and went to join Cappie in the kitchen.

Cappie was busy mixing up the batter. She saw that a griddle was ready to go on the stove. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Casey asked.

Cappie looked up and his jaw almost dropped. He didn't know many women that could make a men's t-shirt sexy. The t-shirt stopped mid-thigh showing off her tanned legs. Her blonde hair hadn't been combed but it looked sultry and natural. "Um, you can just have a seat and keep me company." Cappie said quickly.

Casey smirked as she noticed the way Cappie was looking at her. She took a seat at one of the stools in his kitchen and crossed one leg over the other. "So what are you using to make the batter? Bisquick?"

"Blech," Cappie said with disgust. "These are from scratch. All you need is six ingredients: 1 cup of flour, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, 1 egg, 1 cup of milk, and ¼ cup of butter – the easiest and tastiest pancake recipe in the world. After eating these, you'll forget about Bisquick."

"Well, I can't wait to try them." Casey teased.

"Do you want coffee?" Cappie asked.

"Do you have tea?"

"You can check the cupboard there. I may have a box or two." Cappie nodded towards the cupboard next to the fridge.

Casey walked over and opened the cabinet and saw two kinds of Mighty Leaf tea: Tropical Green and regular Green Tea. She had to be on her tiptoes to reach the box of Tropical Green Tea. She grabbed a packet and turned around to ask Cappie where his mugs were. She was amused when she saw the smirk on his face. "What's so funny?"

Cappie chuckled. "Nothing."

"Come on," Casey insisted. "You were smirking. What was that about?"

"I wasn't expecting a peep show this morning." Cappie teased.

Casey gasped and looked down at the shirt. It was completely covering her. Then she groaned as she realized when she was on her tiptoes to reach for the box of tea, the shirt must have risen a bit. Casey knew her face was red. "How much did you see?"

"Only one cheek. Don't worry, those black lacy panties covered everything. Pretty sexy if you ask me."

Casey shook her head and laughed. Thank goodness she was wearing a pair of lacy boy shorts. "Now that the show is over, where are your mugs?"

"Next cupboard."

Casey opened the cabinet and groaned. The mugs were even higher to reach. "Could you please hand me a mug?"

"I think you can handle it," Cappie teased. "Besides I want to see the other cheek."

Casey rolled her eyes and laughed. "You're so funny, you know that?"

"As a matter of fact, I do," Cappie walked over and grabbed a mug for Casey. "Here you go."

"Thanks." She muttered and filled it with water and went to the microwave to heat up the mug. By now, Cappie had six beautifully rounded pancakes on the griddle. As the smell permeated the air, she felt her mouth watering.

Once the water in the mug was hot enough, she took it out of the microwave and put the tea bag in. She took a seat and watched Cappie flip the pancakes. He was wearing a black long-sleeve shirt, but she could tell his arms were sculpted. He was wearing jeans that were loose enough, but hugged him in the right places. She smiled as she continued watching him.

Cappie turned around and Casey quickly looked away, but she knew she was busted. "What were you doing?" Cappie asked in a sing-song voice.

Casey's face was red. "Nothing."

"Enjoying the view from back there?" Cappie asked.

Casey rolled her eyes. "Whatever," she said laughing. At the same time, she knew she needed to get out of the apartment after breakfast. There was definitely some sexual attraction and tension between them. If she stayed in there any longer, she may just do what Ashleigh said she'd do.

"Well, the pancakes are just about ready." Cappie put three on each plate and brought it over to her. "Bon apetit."

"Wow, these look great. How do you get them to be so golden?"

"A magician never reveals his tricks."

"Fine," Casey responded. She put some syrup on the cakes and began eating. As she took the first bite, she was sighing with pleasure. "These are fantastic, Cap."

"Thanks." He walked to the fridge and pulled out a small bowl of sliced strawberries.

They were content eating in silence and enjoying the food. It wasn't long before their plates were empty. They looked at each other, knowing that their time was coming to an end. "I better get going, Cap," Casey told him. "I have a long day ahead of me."

"Sure," Cappie said. "Go on and get changed, while I clean up here."

She leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for a wonderful night. I'll never forget any of this."

Cappie watched her as she walked towards his bedroom and shut the door. He knew he could get used to this – having her with him all the time. There hadn't been any awkward moments with Casey. They were so comfortable with each other. He knew he told her that he would let her go, but he didn't want to. _I have one more chance_, he thought.

He walked towards his bedroom and knocked. "Casey?"

"Come in," she called.

Cappie opened the bedroom door and saw Casey lying in his bed underneath the comforter. The t-shirt was on the floor along with her bra and black lace panties. "What are you doing?"

"One last trip down memory lane?" Casey asked quietly. "I want to leave here with the very best memory of you."

Cappie smiled and took his shirt off and walked towards the bed. He took his jeans and boxers off and got in bed with her. He smiled appreciatively as he checked her naked form. "Then I'll have to outdo all the other times we've done this." His heart was beating fast as he kissed her. Neither of them were leaving this apartment until they were both satisfied. If this was the last time he'd be with Casey, he was going to take full advantage of it.

* * *

**A/N: This definitely ranks as one of my favorite chapters of this fanfic. I love Casey and Cappie together. Only a few more chapters to go and we'll see what the conclusion of the story is....**

**Oh, and the pancake recipe is mine - feel free to try it - it's the best :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Eleven**

Cappie woke up and reached out for Casey's warm body. He was surprised to learn that he was alone in his bed. Had he dreamed it all? _Nah,_ he said with a smirk. Everything that had happened between him and Casey was amazing. Casey was probably in the bathroom. He saw that his clock read 8:00. Maybe he should call work and let his admin know that he was going to be coming in late. He wanted to spend as much time with Casey before she had to go on with her day. Cappie sat up in his bed and stretched his arms over his head.

"Case?" Cappie called towards the closed bathroom door. "Come on back to bed."

He waited for a response, but didn't get any. He looked around the floor and noticed her clothes were gone. Cappie sighed. _She didn't?_ He thought with sadness. "Damn it, Cappie," he scolded himself. He was more upset with the fact that Casey had gotten up and left without saying good-bye. After all that happened between them, she owed him that much, didn't she?

Cappie picked up his t-shirt that she had worn a few hours ago. He brought it up to his nose and smelled in her scent. Why did he even agree to sleep with her again? He knew in his mind that it was a bad idea. She even told him that it didn't mean she wasn't getting married. She wanted one last time with him. _Who are you kidding, _he thought to himself, _you knew what you were doing. You wanted it just as much_. Cappie threw the t-shirt on the bed and made his way into the kitchen to make some coffee.

Cappie noticed Casey's ZBZ letters and a folded piece of paper with his name next to them on his dining room table. Cappie picked up the paper and unfolded it. He could feel tears sting his eyes as he read the letter.

_Dear Cappie, _

_I don't even know what to say at this time. It may seem a cold _

_thing to leave without saying good-bye, but it would've been too_

_hard to do it face-to-face. I don't know if this is the last time I will _

_see you or not. I know we're both in Jordan and Rusty's wedding, _

_but by next year things will be different between us. I know for sure _

_that we can't have any more moments like what we shared this early_

_morning. Having breakfast with you is going in my books as one of_

_the best memories we've shared together. I will always remember _

_this day and I thank you for that._

_I placed my ZBZ letters next to this note for a reason. I need you to do _

_something for me. Please take these letters and throw them away, Cap._

_You're too wonderful of a man to hold on to these and it'd be cruel of me_

_to be selfish to want you to. You let me go seven years ago and now it's_

_my turn to let you go. Be free Cappie. _

_Love always and forever,_

_Casey xoxo_

Cappie folded the note back up and grabbed her letters. He walked over to the garbage can and opened it. He stared at the letters in his hand. He didn't know if he could do it. Before he could chicken out, Cappie gave the letters a kiss and he let go of the cord. As he watched the letters glittering as they fell into the darkness of the garbage can, a surge of anger ran through him. He was angry that he let his emotions control his behavior and better judgment; angry that Casey walked out on him without a word (sure she left a note, but it wasn't the same); angry that he agreed with some of things Casey said in her note, and finally he was angry because he knew he'd lost Casey Cartwright forever.

* * *

Casey was staring out the window of her bedroom. She was wiping at her eyes with a tissue. She'd been home for a few hours now. She couldn't believe what a chicken shit she was. She had woken up at about 6:00 and watched Cappie sleep peacefully. She felt so comfortable laying there next to him. She had slid out of bed to go to the bathroom. Once she was done, she tiptoed out to the living room to grab her purse. Her phone showed numerous missed calls from both Ashleigh and Derek. Casey groaned.

She checked her text messages and saw several from Ashleigh: "Case – what R U doing?" and "You're so wrong" and "Derek doesn't deserve any of this" and "U R better than this" and "How do U expect me 2 stand by U if U can't be honest?" As much as Casey hated to admit it, Ashleigh was right. Casey was in the wrong here. Her actions were unfair to both Derek and Cappie. Right then and there, Casey knew she had to leave Cappie alone.

Before she could lose her nerve, Casey looked around for paper and a pen. She noticed a notepad on Cappie's coffee table and went to retrieve it. As she grabbed the notepad, she saw her ZBZ letters underneath it. It was the right thing to do and let Cappie go. She owed it to him. As Casey wrote out the note, tears were streaming down her cheeks. She tried to muffle her cries so she wouldn't wake him. Once she finished her letter, she folded it up and placed it on the dining table and she placed her ZBZ letters beside it.

She snuck back into Cappie's bedroom and grabbed her clothes off the floor. She dressed quickly and she turned to look at Cappie one last time. He was sleeping with a small smile on his face. She was tempted to stay with him but she knew she had to go. She walked towards the bed and kissed her fingertips and brought them lightly against Cappie's cheek. She sighed as she walked out of the bedroom; before she left she turned back and looked at him. "Good-bye, Cap," she whispered. She quickly grabbed her things and rushed out of Cappie's apartment and his life forever.

Casey grabbed another tissue and wiped at her eyes. She had to stop this. In a few hours, she would be meeting Derek and all their friends and family at the church for their rehearsal. The thought of the rehearsal made her chuckle a bit; she couldn't believe that people had to practice getting married before the actual event. In many ways, it was a show, wasn't it? They'd be dressed up and performing their vows in front of their family and friends. They would be selling it to the crowd, convincing everyone they were madly in love and promising to be devoted to each other for the rest of their lives. _Wow,_ Casey thought rejectedly, _I'm not sure I'm that great of an actress_.

She hadn't spoken to Ashleigh or Derek today. She knew she should call both of them, but she couldn't quite bring herself to do it just yet. She heard her cell phone beep. Casey got butterflies in her stomach as she grabbed her phone, wondering who sent her a text. Her heart leapt as she saw Cappie's number. She closed her eyes and sighed. She read the text and the words blurred as she finished reading it: "Case, lonely w/o you here. Got ur note. I get it. ZBZ ltrs gone 4 good. No matter what, know this – ILY 4ever. Wish U much happiness in life + marriage. Good-bye. Always yours, Cap."

Casey went to her dresser and opened up the jewelry box sitting on top. She lifted the bottom section out and peered at the hidden things beneath it. She grabbed the photo of her and Cappie and smiled. They had just moved into their apartment after graduation and Cappie had his arms wrapped around her waist and he was looking down at her as Casey looked up at him. It was her favorite picture of them because in that moment their love was so pure and so real. She had gotten rid of most of her things that involved Cappie, but she hadn't been able to let go of this photo. She knew she should get rid of it, but she didn't want to. Casey eyed the garbage can next to her desk and let go of the photo. She watched it flutter like a butterfly as it fell inside it. She closed her eyes and convinced herself it was the right thing to do. She knew this day would come, she knew she had to let him go.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry if this doesn't make some you happy - I want a C&C happy ending, too....but I'll just say, you have to wait and see. Only a few more chapters. I hope to write and update this weekend.**

**I will share this though - I will be writing a sequel to "The Last Conversation" - I was thinking about it all last night. So stay tuned for the ending of this story and the continuation of Casey and Cappie's tortured love story. **

**I apologize if I am too dramatic....I love writing words with emotions and I want my readers to feel how Casey and Cappie do. I have to admit, I got teary-eyed writing Casey's letter to Cappie and Cappie's final text to Casey. I hope you enjoy.**

**And always, thanks for reading! ~Dee**


	12. Chapter 12

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Twelve**

As Casey entered the church, she went to the classroom that had been designated for her and her bridesmaids. She and Derek weren't religious, but her and Derek's parents were part of the congregation at St. Luke's and their wish was for their children to have their ceremony there. She opened the door and saw that Ashleigh was the only one in there. Casey took a deep breath and smiled as she greeted her best friend. "Hey Ashleigh," she said a little too chipper.

Ashleigh wasn't smiling and her arms were crossed over her chest. "Casey," she said curtly.

Casey went over to her friend and looked at her. "I'm sorry about everything. You were right. I shouldn't have gone over to Cappie's."

Ashleigh raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow. "Well?"

Casey looked down at her feet with shame. "Yes, I had sex with him, but it didn't start off like that. We were just hanging out and having a really good time together. Then I realized last night was probably the last time I'll ever be with Cappie again, so I asked him to sleep with me. This morning when I woke up and saw your text messages, it hit me that I've been being selfish this whole time. So things are officially over between me and Cappie. I want to be with Derek."

Ashleigh searched Casey's face and saw the sincerity in what she was saying. Ashleigh grabbed Casey in a hug. "Well, it's about time you wised up. Anyway, I want to apologize for the things I said, too."

"As long as we can go back to being the bestest friends, things are all good." Casey said.

"Friends forever," Ashleigh told her.

Casey felt much better now that she and Ashleigh were back to good terms. "So, where's everyone else?"

"They're all out in the auditorium. Come on, let's go do this." Ashleigh linked her arms through Casey's and guider her towards the hall. "Are you ready?"

Casey nodded her head slowly. "I think so."

"Well, just think, by tomorrow, you'll be doing this in front of all your 150 guests."

Casey gasped and felt as if someone was squeezing the last breath out of her. "I," Casey sputtered, "am going to faint."

Ashleigh guided Casey towards the girls bathroom. "It's okay, Case, you're just having a small panic attack."

"You think?" Casey said a little more snidely than she meant to. "What's going on with me these days?"

"You're just stressed from all the wedding stuff," Ashleigh said with a wave. "By tomorrow, you'll be fine."

"What if I can't even get through this rehearsal? What does that say?" Casey asked.

"Casey, you'll be fine. All you have to do is meet Derek at the altar and everything will go smoothly from there."

Casey nodded her head. "You're right. Once I meet Derek at the altar, everything will be okay." As Casey said the words, she felt sick to her stomach. She knew things weren't right.

Ashleigh gently pushed her out of the girls room and towards the auditorium. "Come on, Bridey, let's you get you rehearsin'," her friend teased.

Casey gave Ashleigh a smile. "Thanks for being my Maid-of-Honor."

"Anytime, Case," Ashleigh gave her hand a squeeze. "Here we go."

Once the doors opened, Casey was at a loss for words. The sun shone through the beautiful stained glass windows that faced the room from the altar. The pews were set up in four sections with 15 rows each with an aisle between each section. Casey and her father would be walking down the middle aisle. The aisles had been adorn with lighted topiaries decorated with ivory and gold ribbons twisted together. The first four rows of each section were sectioned off for immediately family and friends of the bride and groom. The most beautiful thing in the room was the chandelier that hung from the middle. Sheer white cloths had been draped from the balcony to the center of the chandelier, giving the room a canopyesque feel. Small white lights shimmered atop the white cloths. It was a breathtaking view.

"Everything looks amazing," Casey said in awe.

"Your mothers and the ladies of the church have outdone themselves, that's for sure." Ashleigh replied.

Casey looked towards the front and saw Derek talking to his Best Man, John, another one of their high school classmates. Along with John, Derek's brother Luke, Rusty, and another high school friend, Drew rounded out the groomsmen. Casey smiled at her bridesmaids. Rebecca, Stacy, and Jordan were in deep conversation. Jordan kept sneaking glances at Rusty and smiling brightly. Feeling all emotional, the gesture brought tears to her eyes. She loved her brother very much and was thrilled that he had Jordan. She was an amazing person and she couldn't think of anyone better for him.

Ashleigh left Casey's side to join the other bridesmaids. Casey observed the party ahead of her and felt a little elation in her stomach. Derek was the one she was destined to be with. In less than 24 hours, they would be husband and wife. Just then Derek turned and noticed her. The smile on his face instantly grew and his eyes were twinkling. _He's the one_, Casey thought, _how could I even question it?_ As Derek walked towards her, Casey smiled at him and felt assured. She was doing the right thing, she reminded herself.

"Hey Gorgeous," Derek said, enveloping her into his arms for a hug. "I missed you last night. Did you have fun at your party?"

Casey looked up at him for a few seconds. "I missed you, too," she told him. She kissed him and he kissed her back with as much passion as he could give her. Casey completely forgot where they were when they heard a throat clearing behind them.

Casey broke from the embrace, her face completely red. "Dad," she said, rolling her eyes.

Mr. Cartwright laughed and put a hand on Derek's shoulder. "You don't get my little girl until you officially tie the knot."

"Don't worry, Mr. C. I'll respect your wishes." Derek joked back.

"Enough of this Mr. C stuff, just call me Dad."

Casey's eyes were tearing up. It was a sweet gesture from her father, telling Derek to call her Dad. She wasn't even sure if she could call Derek's parents Mom and Dad. Casey noticed her mother wasn't with him. "Where's Mom?"

"She went back to the car to get you something." Mr. Cartwright told her.

"As long as it's not embarrassing." Casey responded.

"I won't say anymore on the matter then," her father said, trying not to laugh.

"Thanks for the boost of confidence, Dad," Casey teased. She turned to towards the doors to watch out for her mother. Within seconds her mother came in and smiled at her daughter.

"Casey, wait till you see what I have for you!" Her mother was ecstatic as she made her way towards her.

"Can't wait," Casey said back. Her eyes widened in horror as she saw what her mother had in her hands.

"Isn't it cute?" Mrs. Cartwright asked, handing Casey a white visor with a veil attached to the back. "I thought you could wear it for the rehearsal."

"I don't know Mom, I don't want my hair to get messed up. I spent a lot of time getting it like this." Casey's hair was curled and she had pinned half of it up with some bobby clips.

Mrs. Cartwright pouted. "Fine. I just thought it'd be cute."

Casey put an arm around her mom's shoulder. "And I appreciate the gesture Mom. I love you."

Mrs. Cartwright was holding back tears. "I can't believe my baby is getting married tomorrow. It's just so nice to have you home."

"Oh Mom," Casey said, leaning her head against her mom's. "I'm glad to be home, too."

"I wish you and Derek would move back here. You know Rusty and Jordan are looking into buying a home right in our neighborhood. You and Derek could do the same." Mrs. Cartwright said wishfully.

Casey chuckled. "Maybe in a few years, okay? Why don't we go see if Pastor Tom is ready? It's almost 3:00."

"I'll go look for him." Mrs. Cartwright offered.

Casey, Derek, and Pastor Tom had sat together to find the right words for the ceremony a week and a half ago. Since she and Derek weren't practicing Lutherans, they wanted to keep things as minimal as possible. They had come to a compromise on the Call to Worship and Opening Prayer. She was actually pretty excited to go through their vows. Just then Pastor Tom came into the auditorium with her mother. Both she and Derek had known Pastor Tom since they were in junior high school when they were both more active with the congregation and youth group. He was in his early 20s when he joined St. Luke's. Now in his mid 40s, Pastor Tom still looked as young as ever; his brown hair didn't have a streak of gray in it and his blue eyes sparkled with life. He was enthusiastic and everyone at St. Luke's loved him.

"Hello Casey," Pastor Tom said greeting her.

"Hi Pastor Tom," she replied, giving him a hug. "So, should we get everyone in place?"

"Let's all meet at the altar for a bit and go over the ceremony and direct everyone to their places." Pastor Tom said, heading towards the front.

Casey followed him and joined Derek as they took a seat in the first pew. Their bridesmaids and groomsmen joined them in the pews behind them. Casey's and Derek's parents also took their seats. Derek's mom was holding Ava in her lap. Ava was Luke's 4-year-old daughter and their flower girl. Their ring bearer, Luke's 7-year-old son, Brandon was sitting next to his grandpa. Casey looked around at the other guests at the rehearsal. She noticed Evan Chambers sitting a few rows back watching them. Next to Evan was Stacy's boyfriend, Rich. Luke's wife, Andrea was going around decorating the room. John's fiancée, Marie, was sitting by herself in one of the very last rows.

"Welcome everyone, thank you all for being here on time. Tomorrow we have a big day ahead of us, so I want to go over the ceremony and then we'll run through it." Pastor Tom said giving everyone a big smile. "Once it's 1:00 tomorrow, we will start off with the Processional. Our organist and harpist will play Pachelbel's Canon in D as Luke walks Grandma Collins down the aisle, Rusty you will follow with Nana Cartwright. After they are seated, Luke will escort your parents down the aisle, and Rusty, you will escort your mother. Once she is seated, Rusty and Luke will go back and get in line for the processional. The music will fade and Derek and I will enter from behind the altar and get in our places. Once we are up here, the music will play Etta James' "At Last" as the Bridal Processional walk in. This is the order you are coming in and remember to pace your walk to a count of three: Stacy and Drew, Jordan and Rusty, Rebecca and Luke, and Ashleigh and John. Ava and Brandon will follow and join you guys at the altar. Once you are all in place, I will announce 'all rise for the bride' and Casey and her father will come in and the music will play the "Here Come's the Bride. " Any questions so far?"

Derek reached over and squeezed Casey's hand. She smiled at him and turned her attention back to Pastor Tom.

"Once Casey and Mr. Cartwright are at the altar, I will address the church with a Call to Worship and give an Opening Prayer. Then I will ask Mr. Cartwright 'Who gives this woman to be married to this man?' And Rus, your response is 'Her mother and I do'." Pastor Tom said.

"Dad, do you think you can handle that?" Rusty teased, which made everyone laugh.

Mr. Cartwright gave them a thumbs up. "It'll be best line I've ever said."

"Then I will proceed to have Casey and Derek declare their intentions and they will exchange vows and rings. Then they will light the unity candle and we will finish the ceremony with the Declaration of Marriage and Pronouncement. Let's do this." Pastor Tom urged the group to get in their places.

Casey walked out to the hallway with her father and the bridal party. Stacy helped organized the bridal party in their pairs. They listened for the music to start, once it did, Stacy and Drew walked down the aisle. Once they were halfway up, Rusty and Jordan headed in, followed by Rebecca and Luke, and Ashleigh and John.

Casey linked arms with her father. "I love you, Dad," she told him.

"I love you, too, sweetheart. I'm very happy for you. Derek's a good guy."

"Yeah, he is," Casey agreed. The music for "Here Comes the Bride" began and they walked in together. Even though it was a rehearsal, Casey felt nervous as she made her way towards the front to Derek. He was looking at her with so much love on his face that it made her feel awful for her actions involving Cappie. _Damn,_ Casey thought, _why am I thinking about him? _Soon, she and her father were at the altar.

Pastor Tom smiled and greeted the congregation. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the presence of God and these witnesses to join Derek and Casey in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among men, and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and solemnly. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace." Pastor Tom waited a few seconds.

"Whew," Derek joked, which caused everyone to laugh.

Pastor Tom continued. "Let us pray. Our Father, love has been your richest and greatest gift to the world. Love between a man and a woman is one of your most beautiful types of love. Today we celebrate that love. May your blessings be on this wedding service. Protect, guide, and bless Derek and Casey in their marriage. Amen. Please be seated." Pastor Tom looked out at the congregation. "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Mr. Cartwright said proudly, "Her mother and I do." Derek came towards Casey, as Mr. Cartwright pretended to lift her veil over her head. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Love you," he whispered.

Casey blinked back tears. "Love you, too." Derek took Casey's hand and she joined him at the altar.

Pastor Tom smiled down at them. "Derek and Casey, have you come here freely and without reservations to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

Casey hesitated. She knew all she had to say was two simple words. Say it, she told herself. Derek looked at her and his confident smile slowly disappeared from his face. "Case?" he asked with confusion.

Pastor Tom looked at Casey and gave her an encouraging smile. "Everything okay, Casey?"

Casey nodded. "I'm fine. Let's continue." She looked at Derek and gave him a smile. "I'm ready," she told him.

Derek looked relieved as Pastor Tom continued. "Derek and Casey, have you come here freely and without reservations to give yourselves to each other in marriage?"

Casey and Derek said in unison, "We do."

"Derek and Casey, since it is your intentions to enter into marriage, join hands and repeat after me." Pastor Tom said.

Derek and Casey faced each other holding hands, and repeated what Pastor Tom relayed. "I, Derek, take you, Casey, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow." Derek squeezed her hands as he finished reciting the words. He was looking at her with so much love and sincerity that it made her love him more.

Casey looked at Derek and smiled at him. She could feel tears prickling her eyes as she began speaking. "I, Casey, take you Derek, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and health, to love and to cherish until we are parted by death. This is my solemn vow."

Pastor Tom nodded to Brandon. "May I have the rings, please."

Everyone laughed as Brandon brought the pillow over to Pastor Tom and he took the platinum bands off of it. He held the rings in his palm and said, "The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity. It is an outward sign of an inward and spiritual bond which unites two hearts in endless love. And now as a token of your love and of your deep desire to be forever united in heart and soul, you, Derek, may place a ring on the finger of your bride."

Derek grabbed Casey's band that matched her engagement ring and placed it on her finger. "Casey, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you."

Pastor Tom smiled at Casey. "By the same token, Casey, you may place a ring on your groom."

Casey grabbed the band and placed it on Derek's finger. "Derek, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you." Casey felt like a complete fraud as she said the words. Before she could think about it anymore, Pastor Tom led them to the table to light the unity candle.

Once the candle was lit, they were back in their places. Pastor Tom smiled widely and addressed the congregation. "By the power vested in me by the state of Illinois, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Derek grinned as he brought Casey towards him for a kiss. It was sweet peck on the lips. Once their kiss was over, they faced the audience and Pastor Tom concluded the ceremony with "I present to you, Mr. and Mrs. Collins."

Everyone clapped as Casey and Derek mimed running from the altar. Casey's heart was beating very fast. She didn't know what was going on with her. One minute she was convinced that she was doing the right thing, but after hearing everything being said aloud, she wasn't so sure if she was being honest with herself. Was it too late to back out? Derek would hate her. They had spent a lot of their own money on the wedding. Or could it be that she was just scared? She wished she could have some time alone to herself, but right after this they were heading to Derek's parent's house for the rehearsal dinner. What was she going to do? One thing was for sure, she had less than 24 hours to decide what her future would be. She just hoped she'd do the right thing for herself.

* * *

**A/N: Only a few more chapters and we'll see what lies ahead for Casey and Cappie......**

**I know this chapter was a bit long, but I thought it was important to highlight the wedding ceremony...thanks for reading! And don't worry, Cappie returns in Ch 13, which I hope to upload sometime tonight!**


	13. Chapter 13

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Casey was sitting in the classroom staring at the wall. They had run through the rehearsal one more time. Mostly everyone had left to head over to the Collins' home for the dinner. Casey needed some time alone and she had come into the classroom. She'd been sitting there for the last 10 minutes without really thinking about anything. The silence was quite comforting.

A small knock at the door made her jump a little. She turned and saw Rebecca standing outside. Casey gestured for her to come in. "Hey Rebecca, what's up?" she asked as Rebecca opened the door and joined her.

"I'm concerned about you," her friend responded.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine." Casey said.

Rebecca gave her a look. "What's going on Casey? You totally blanked during the declarations part."

Casey shrugged. "I don't know, I guess hearing the words 'come here freely, without reservations' freaked me out for a sec. I don't know, Bex, I feel like a fraud."

"Why?" Rebecca asked, concern showing on her pretty face.

"I haven't been faithful to Derek at all since we've been in Chicago and here I am vowing to be his wife forever and wearing my wedding ring as a symbol of love and faithfulness to him. It doesn't sit right with me." Casey admitted.

"What about Cappie?"

"What about him?"

"What happened last night?" Rebecca asked.

"We shared an amazing night together, but then I realized I needed to be here for Derek. I owe him that much. So I left Cappie a note telling him good-bye." Casey said sheepishly.

"Case!" Rebecca exclaimed. "You left him a note?"

Casey looked down at her lap in shame. "I couldn't face doing it for real. I hate the thought of saying good-bye to him and seeing the hurt in his eyes. I couldn't do it."

"Casey, I'm going to ask you something, ok?"

"Sure."

"Do you love Cappie?"

Casey was quiet for a minute. She wanted to tell Rebecca no, but she knew it'd be a lie. "What difference does it make?"

"It makes all the difference in the world. Now, answer my question."

Casey sighed. "Yes, I love him."

"Then go be with him. What are you waiting for?" Rebecca asked shrilly.

"Rebecca, I can't be with him. I have to marry Derek. I owe it to him."

"Casey, this is your life. You can't marry Derek on false pretenses. Your marriage will be ruined by these unrequited feelings for Cappie. Do you want to be a divorcee before you're 30?"

"Everyone will be so angry, not just Derek. My parents and his parents will be so upset. Besides, I do love Derek."

"Casey, you need to snap out of it." Rebecca said with annoyance. "You can't love two people. It's not right and it's not fair. You have the ultimate choice to be with one of them. So go be with Cappie already. I know he's the one you really want to be with."

"I don't know, it's too late anyway. I told Cap I was letting him go. So, in many ways, Rebecca, I've made my choice. I'm getting married tomorrow. Just leave everything I said about Cappie alone, ok?" Casey pleaded with her friend.

Rebecca was silent as she looked at Casey. She could read it all over her face how much she loved Cappie. Their love was a passionate and honest one and who'd want to compete with that? When she had dated Cappie at CRU, Casey had always been in the picture. Rebecca didn't want someone else to go through a situation like that. Casey would never truly give 100 percent of herself to Derek if they got married. She didn't want her friend to marry for the wrong reasons and to the wrong person. "Fine, I won't say anything more on the matter," Rebecca promised.

"Thanks Bex," Casey said quietly. "I appreciate it. Anyway, did everyone leave for the rehearsal dinner?"

"Yeah, you're the only one left. I told Evan to go ahead without me and I'd ride with you."

"I guess we better get going." As they made their way towards Casey's car and got in, she turned to Rebecca. "For what it's worth, thanks for talking to me about Cappie."

"Anytime, Case," Rebecca responded. As Casey started driving over to the Collins' home, Rebecca observed her friend. There had to be something she could do for Casey and Cappie. There was still time before the wedding. As Rebecca thought of a plan, she smiled to herself. Well, Casey had made her promise not bring Cappie up to her anymore, but she never said anything about not talking to Cappie. She couldn't wait to get to the dinner to find Evan and tell him her plan. It just had to work.

* * *

Cappie had been lying in his bed for the last couple of hours unable to sleep. He was trying not to think about Casey, but every time he closed his eyes, her beautiful face kept coming into the picture. He had a horrible day at work; he wasn't able to concentrate on anything. He knew that she had her rehearsal earlier today. And by tomorrow, she'd be someone's wife. He turned on his side and groaned. He put his hand under the pillow and felt Casey's ZBZ letters. After he'd thrown them away, he couldn't imagine not having them anymore so he took them back out. Thank goodness his garbage was nearly empty so there wasn't anything on them. He removed them from the black cord and tossed the cord. For some odd reason, he felt close to Casey by way of her letters.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone. He checked and saw Evan's name light up. It was nearly midnight, why was he calling so late? "Hey Chambers," he said as he answered the phone.

"Hey Cap," Evan greeted. "So my girlfriend needs to talk to you. She says it's urgent."

"Okay. Put Rebecca on." Cappie said.

"Ok, here you go." Evan said.

Cappie waited for a few seconds when he heard Rebecca say, "Cappie, we need to talk."

"Sure, what's up?" Cappie asked.

"We can't let Casey marry Derek tomorrow." Rebecca said quickly.

Cappie chuckled because he was a little uncomfortable and amused. "And what do you want me to do about it?"

"I know she loves you, she told me so tonight." Rebecca said.

Cappie paused. Did Rebecca just say what he thought he heard? Casey actually hadn't admitted the truth to him, but it definitely felt good to hear it. "Well, as great as that sounds, we've both parted ways. I told her I'd let her go and she promised me the same thing."

Rebecca blew a raspberry. "Who cares? All I know is that you two are making a big mistake. This is the grand gesture Cap. Go get her. If you let her marry Derek, she'll be miserable for the rest of her life. You know it and I know it."

"Why are you getting involved with this anyway?" Cappie asked.

"Look, when we dated, I always knew you would never care or love me the way you did for Casey. She'd always be in the picture no matter what. I think about her and Derek and the same thing will happen to him. You will always be in Casey's mind and it's not fair to Derek. It sucks to be second, you know." Rebecca admitted.

Cappie sighed. "Yeah, you're right. What do I need to do?"

"The ceremony starts at 1:00 tomorrow at St. Luke's. Get there by 12:30 and I'll sneak you in to see Casey. Just call Evan when you're at the church and I will come get you. The rest, I'll leave up to you. You have to get her back, Cap. I can't bear to see you two apart any longer."

"Thanks Rebecca, I do appreciate this. I just hope Casey will pick me."

"Trust me," Rebecca said confidently. "She will. Alright, see you tomorrow."

"I'll let you and Evan know once I'm at St. Luke's. Bye." Cappie said.

After their phone call, Cappie breathed a sigh of relief. Casey loved him. She had admitted it to Rebecca. He had 12 hours to decide what he would say to her. He had to give her the grand gesture. If he was to win Casey back, he would need to show her how he felt and give her his all. He just hoped that Casey would leave Derek for him. If Casey rejected him, he knew his heart wouldn't be able to take it. _Please Casey_, he thought, _be with me._ Those were his last thoughts as he drifted off to sleep.


	14. Chapter 14

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Casey stared at her reflection in the mirror. It was half an hour before the ceremony would start. She'd been up early this morning because she could barely sleep the night before. The rehearsal dinner had been fun, but her mind kept going back to Cappie all night. She couldn't believe she told Rebecca she still loved him. It was the truth, she'd been trying to fight it, but it was obvious how she felt. However, it was too late. She was here today, wasn't she? Her mind was made up. She would meet Derek at the altar and they would live happily ever after.

Casey continued looking at herself in the mirror. Her blonde hair had been swept up into a French twist and her veil had been clipped on her hair perfectly. Her wedding dress fit like a glove and the dress moved with her as she walked. Her make-up was perfectly done. She looked the part and she knew she should act it. She was a lucky woman. Derek was a great catch and he was waiting for her at the altar. She knew he'd look handsome in his tux.

Casey hadn't heard someone come into the room and she almost screamed as she saw Cappie standing behind her in the mirror. Casey turned around, her eyes wide with shock. "Cappie, what are you doing here?"

Cappie looked at Casey and seeing her made him breathless. She looked radiant and beautiful. He smiled at her warmly, "Casey, you look beautiful."

Casey looked down at her shoes. "Thanks," she said quietly. "But seriously, what are you doing here?"

Cappie grabbed one of her hands and brought it to his chest. "I know you love me. Rebecca told me."

Casey groaned. "Thanks Bex," she muttered. "In less than 20 minutes, I'm going to be walking down that aisle."

"You know you don't have to, Case. Be with me. Love me. Leave with me right now." Cappie said, pleading with her, looking at her with so much love and passion. "Feel my heartbeat. You make me feel this way."

Casey was near tears, but she willed herself not to cry. "I can't, Cap. I love Derek and I'm going to meet him at the altar."

"Bullshit Casey," Cappie said with annoyance. "Be honest with yourself. Are you going to be 100 percent happy with Derek? Are you?"

Casey was quiet as she looked away from Cappie. "What do you want from me?"

Cappie couldn't help but sigh with exasperation. "I want you to tell me you love me for one thing and walk out of here with me. The ceremony hasn't started yet; you have time to get away."

Casey grabbed Cappie's face in her hands and looked into his eyes. "Cappie," she said slowly, "you're too late, okay? Please just let me go. Once you let me go, I will give myself to Derek 100 percent."

Cappie groaned and closed his eyes. He reached up and took Casey's hands off of his face and brought her arms to the side of her body. "Casey, I'm telling you right here and right now that I'm giving myself to you 100 percent. Will you do the same for me?"

Casey looked at him for a minute without speaking. This was their chance, she thought. Cappie had a point, she could leave before the ceremony started. But deep in her heart, as much as she hated hurting Cappie, she knew she couldn't hurt Derek. She was marrying him and once they left Chicago for their honeymoon in Jamaica, she would forget about Cappie for good. She was letting him go for his own good. Casey slowly shook her head. "Cap, I can't give myself to you. I owe it to Derek to meet him at the altar. Once I leave Chicago, please forget about me and allow yourself to love someone else."

Cappie was shocked and hurt. He hated this feeling. Casey wasn't going to choose him. He was such an idiot for thinking that he could. Why did Rebecca have to let him know how she felt? He was ready to let Casey go. He was a fool over and over. He never learned his lesson after each time. Cappie looked into her beautiful face and tried to force him not to show his true emotions. He rarely ever cried, and he wasn't about to do it in front of her. It was time for the grand gesture. "Casey," he said quietly, taking one of her hands in his. "I don't want to love anyone else. I haven't loved anyone else besides you. For the rest of my life, I want you by my side." Cappie reached inside his jacket and took out a small velvet box; he opened it up and showed it to her. It was a gorgeous platinum band with a carat princess cut diamond. The ring sparkled beautifully. "Casey Cartwright, I fell in love with you when I was 18-years-old and I've never gotten it back. 10 years later and I still love you. There's no one else in the world compared to you." Cappie gently got down on one knee, "Will you please marry me?"

Casey stared at Cappie in disbelief. This wasn't happening. She wasn't sure if she should be thrilled or mad. It was one thing to propose to her, but to do it on her actual wedding day? There was only one way to deal with this, she would have to be quick and harsh. It was the only way to get Cappie out of here. "Cappie, please leave. There's nothing left between us to discuss. You can't just ask me to marry you, that doesn't help or fix anything. Just please go away. I have a groom to get to." She turned her back on Cappie and looked away from his gaze in the mirror.

Cappie felt dejected. He was staring at the back of Casey's head, trying to think of something to say. What else could he say? He closed the velvet box and put it back inside his jacket. "Alright, I get it now. I'm a fool over and over. Take care Casey and have a wonderful life." Without waiting for a response from Casey, Cappie headed towards the side entrance that Rebecca had snuck him in.

"Cappie?" Casey called to him.

Cappie stopped in his tracks and didn't turn around. "Yeah?"

"I'm sorry, I really am." Casey said sadly.

"Whatever, Casey," Cappie muttered under his breath. As he walked out of the room, he found the stairs that led to the balcony. He knew he should get out of there, but if Casey was really choosing Derek then he needed to witness it in order to believe it. He went to the very last row in the balcony which made him visible to everyone else, but he had a good view of the altar. Cappie's heart was breaking as he heard the music start up. _It's show time_, he thought bitterly.

* * *

Casey was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. "Damn him," she said quietly. She would have to talk to Rebecca later. She was sure her friend had good intentions, but did she need any of this drama today?

There was a knock on the door. Casey turned and saw her father. He gave her a big smile. "Oh honey," he said wistfully. "You are beautiful."

Casey went to her father. "Thanks Dad." She grabbed her bouquet of white calla lilies and blue hydrangeas. "I guess this is it."

Mr. Cartwright took a handkerchief out and wiped tears from his eyes. "You won't be my little girl anymore" he said sadly.

"I'll always be your little girl," Casey told him. "Always." Casey linked her arm through her father's left arm.

He squeezed her hand gently. "I'm proud of you, honey. I know it's been a long year planning the wedding, but it's here and it's happening."

Casey laughed lightly. "You're right, it's happening." He led her over to the doors to the auditorium. The bridal party was in line ready to go in. They all smiled as Casey and Mr. Cartwright joined them.

She noticed Rebecca looking at her. Casey nodded and shrugged. Rebecca's smile faded from her face and she turned her attention to the front. Soon, Stacy and Drew entered the room, followed by Jordan and Rusty, Rebecca and Luke, and Ashleigh and John. The bridesmaids all looked fantastic in their light blue strapless dresses. The grooms looked handsome in their tuxedos. As the music started up for her march, Casey looked straight ahead and touched the veil that covered her face. She felt completely nervous as her dad led her down the aisle. She looked at the guests on both sides of the aisles. Everyone was looking at her with awe and like yesterday's rehearsal, Casey was starting to feel like a fraud again.

As she neared the altar, she looked at Derek's face. He had this huge smile on his face and he was watching her intently. He loved her so much and she knew she would have to try and love him just as much. Once she was at the front, Pastor Tom began the ceremony with the Call to Worship.

"Dearly beloved," Pastor Tom's voice was loud and clear, "we are gathered here today in the presence of God and these witnesses to join Derek and Casey in matrimony, which is commended to be honorable among men, and therefore – is not by any – to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, discreetly, advisedly, and solemnly. If any person can show just cause why they may not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold your peace."

Everyone was quiet as they looked around the room. A few seconds past and Pastor Tom was about to continue when Casey interrupted and said, "I can't do this."

There were gasps all around as everyone turned towards Casey. Casey let go of her father's arm and lifted the veil. By now, she had tears streaming down her cheeks. She went to Derek, "I am so, so, so sorry, but I can't marry you. I have to be honest with you and myself. I can't marry you if my feelings are conflicted."

Pastor Tom gestured towards Casey and Derek. "Perhaps you two want to do this somewhere a little more private?"

Casey felt like an idiot and she was ashamed of herself. "I am so sorry, Pastor Tom. I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

"It's okay, Casey, take Derek and feel free to use my office." He nodded towards the entrance behind the altar. Casey walked towards the room, followed by Derek. She turned around to look at her parent's faces; they gave her sympathetic and encouraging smiles. Casey mouthed an apology to them. She noticed Ashleigh's disappointed look and Rebecca's hopeful one. Casey looked around at all the other faces in the crowd when she noticed movement above. She recognized Cappie right away. He was leaning against the edge of the balcony and he gave her a small wave. She just shook her head and went into the pastor's office. Derek shut the door behind them.

Casey couldn't believe what she just did. She was still a little shaky but she felt relieved. She knew this was the right thing to do. She couldn't marry Derek if she couldn't give herself to him completely. She just hoped he wouldn't hate her.

* * *

As Cappie watched Casey walking down the aisle with Mr. C, the pain in his heart was unbearable. He had to restrain himself from shouting out to her. He observed as the pastor began his speech, then he asked the question. Should he speak up? Or hold his peace forever? Cappie made up his mind and was about to say something when her voice had beat him to the punch. As she said "I can't do this", he was ecstatic knowing that Casey finally got it. She wanted to be with him. Cappie watched as Casey and Derek headed towards the pastor's office. She turned back and she finally saw him. He smiled at her and waved. Cappie knew they would have their chance to talk. He took his cell phone out and sent Casey a text to meet him at his apartment later. He breathed a huge sigh of relief. He got his girl back after all. All was right in his world.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed the latest chapters. I'm working on the next chapter and hope to upload it by tomorrow. Please review. And thanks for reading!**


	15. Chapter 15

**The Last Conversation**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Casey turned to face Derek. He looked so hurt that she felt awful. "I'm so sorry, Derek."

Derek shrugged, completely shocked. "What I don't get is your conflicted feelings. What caused it?"

Casey closed her eyes and sighed. "Since we've been back in Chicago, I saw my ex-boyfriend a few times."

"What?" Derek exclaimed. "Why would you even do that? Who does that kind of thing?"

Casey winced. Derek rarely ever raised his voice. "I know, it was wrong of me."

"We've spent the last three years together. How could you do this to me? Do you realize how embarrassing this is for me?" Derek asked incredulously.

"Despite what you want to think, Derek, I did love you when we were together." Casey said quietly.

"Just not enough to marry me, right?" Derek asked. "Why even say yes to my proposal then?"

"I thought I wanted a future with you, too. I'm sorry." Casey said again.

"What do we do now?" Derek asked.

"Since our honeymoon is already paid for, I want you to take the tickets and go to Jamaica. I'll go back to Manhattan and get my things out of our apartment. You put most of the down payment on it, so I want you to keep it. I'll find something else." Casey told him.

"I can't believe this, Case," Derek said sadly. "I really loved you."

Casey started crying. "I know, and I loved you, too, but I loved someone else a long time ago and the truth is I never stopped."

Derek put his face in his hands. "Well, Case, I need to get out of here. I can't be here right now."

Casey nodded. "I really am sorry."

"Yeah, whatever," Derek mused. "I'll be at my parent's. Just leave your copy of the key on the coffee table once you get your stuff out. So long, Case."

Casey watched as Derek walked out of the office. She leaned her head against the desk and let the tears out. How did she let things get this far? She should've gone with her instincts. When she saw Cappie two weeks ago, it was obvious she wasn't ready to get married.

There was a soft knock on the door. Casey looked towards the door and saw Ashleigh and Rebecca. Casey groaned inwardly. She wasn't sure if she really wanted to talk about any of this.

"Hey Casey," Ashleigh called out.

Casey shrugged. "Here to yell at me?"

Ashleigh's face was full of concern. "No, the opposite. Rebecca told me her little plan."

Casey looked at Rebecca. "I know you meant well, but why did you have to go to Cappie?"

Rebecca crossed her arms across her chest. "I wasn't ready to see my friend make a mistake. You've never stopped loving Cappie and it's not fair to Derek."

Casey's face softened. "I know, I'm just so confused by it all."

"What's confusing? You seem pretty certain about not marrying Derek." Ashleigh said. "So, does this mean you're going back to Cappie?"

Casey shrugged. "To be honest, I don't know. He proposed to me right before the ceremony started."

"What?" Both Rebecca and Ashleigh exclaimed in unison.

Casey nodded, "He had this gorgeous ring and he got down on one knee and he had the best speech prepared. It's everything any girl could ask for."

"Well?" Rebecca asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course I said no. As great as that was, this isn't the right way for me and Cappie to be together." Casey said.

"What do you mean?" Ashleigh asked.

"It would be unwise of me to get back with Cappie right away, don't you think?" Casey asked her friends.

Rebecca and Ashleigh looked at each other. Rebecca shrugged, "I guess. But it's you and Cappie. This is how it works for you guys."

Casey chuckled. "Well, I'm not so sure if I like the sound of that. I should get out of here, but I don't want to face the crowd."

"Your parents directed your friends and family back to their house. Derek's family and friends headed over to the reception site. It's been paid for, so they might as well make use of it, right?" Ashleigh said.

Casey nodded. "That's the smart thing to do. Will you guys walk with me to the classroom and help me out of this dress?"

Rebecca smiled. "Anything for you, Case."

The three friends walked back to the classroom. Rebecca helped undo the buttons on Casey's dress. Her cell phone was sitting next to her make-up bag on a table. She saw her message light blinking. She picked the phone and checked her messages. There was a text from Cappie asking her to meet him at his apartment. She knew once she left St. Luke's, she would head over to Cappie's. She needed to see him. Once the wedding dress was off of her and back in its' garment bag, she slipped into a pair of jeans and a fitted black button-up shirt. She slipped the Manolo's off of her feet and into ballet flats.

Casey looked at her friends as they helped gather her things together. "I have to go see Cappie."

"Of course you do," Ashleigh said.

"I should really drop my dress and these things back at my parent's." Casey told them.

Rebecca shook her head. "Go on, we'll take care of everything."

"Thanks," Casey said. "I'll keep you posted." With that, Casey left her friends and headed outside of the church to her car. She drove towards Cappie's apartment. Once she was near his neighborhood, she had to drive around his block a few times before finding a parking spot. Casey walked towards Cappie's building and once inside the lobby, she buzzed his apartment number.

"Who is it?" Cappie said through the intercom.

"It's me," Casey replied. Without a response, Cappie buzzed to let her in and Casey got into the elevator and pressed the 8. When the elevators opened, Cappie was waiting for her.

"Casey," he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into his arms. "I just knew you'd come back." He lowered his head and kissed her.

Casey was getting lost in the kiss when she realized they were in his hallway. "Let's go back to your apartment."

They walked into Cappie's apartment and Cappie put a hand behind Casey's neck and brought her face to his. "I'm so happy right now," he whispered. He was leaning in for a kiss, when he felt Casey's hands on his chest, pushing him back a bit. "Case?"

Casey looked at Cappie and she could see the happiness on his face disappear as he saw the look on her face. "Cap," Casey said quietly. "I'm here to say good-bye."

"Oh," Cappie said sadly. "And here I thought we were getting back together."

"Please hear me out." Casey pleaded. She touched his arm lightly. "I wish I could tell you that I want to be with you, but the truth is, I don't think it's a good time for either of us."

"What do you mean?" Cappie asked.

"Well, I just ended things with my fiancé and I need to sort this all out before I start a relationship with you."

"I'll wait for you," Cappie said.

"Cappie, on Monday, I'll be on an airplane back to Manhattan. I won't be back in Chicago until Rusty and Jordan's wedding next year. I can't ask you to change your life for me and you can't expect that from me." Casey told him.

"But Casey," Cappie interjected. "I'm willing to move to Manhattan for you. I will make the life change."

Casey looked at Cappie and gave him a small smile. "Cappie, we have to end this thing between us for good. We can't keep getting together for selfish reasons and be unfaithful to others to be together. We've been through this cycle too many times."

Cappie shook his head in disbelief. "Case, you still love me, right?"

"I do," Casey said.

"Then what more do we need to discuss. Let's just be together. Even with you there and me here, we can make it work. We're older and wiser." Cappie suggested.

"Cappie, I'm going to be honest with you, I know that I'm not going to be ready to be in a relationship with you or anyone for a while. I've been engaged for a year and I ended things today with Derek. It would be wrong of me to start something with you when there's all this baggage. It would be a horrible to start to a relationship."

As much as Cappie hated the idea, Casey had a point. He groaned in frustration. "Timing just never wants to work for us, does it?"

Casey slowly nodded her head. "Maybe we just have to allow time to pass and we can try again."

"Okay," Cappie agreed. "I'll be here waiting for you, Casey. You call me when you're ready."

Casey blinked back the tears. "Okay," she said, sniffling. "I'll call you."

Cappie held Casey in his arms as she cried. "No matter what happens," he whispered in her ear, "I don't regret a single moment with you the past two weeks. You've brought me much happiness."

"Oh Cap," Casey said through her tears. "Why do you have to be so sweet? It makes it so much harder to say good-bye."

"Well, let's not say good-bye then. Instead, let's just leave it as until next time." Cappie suggested.

Casey turned to look at the door. "I should get going. I have some explaining to do back at my parents."

"I really wish you didn't have to leave." Cappie said sadly.

Casey looked up at him and put a hand against his cheek. "Until next time, then?"

Cappie nodded, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "Until next time," he repeated.

"Once I get settled back in Manhattan, I'll call you." Casey told him.

Cappie gave her a kiss on the forehead. "I look forward to it. I'm optimistic that we'll be together sooner than later."

Casey smiled. "You think?"

Cappie nodded. "I do."

Casey walked to the doors with Cappie behind her. She turned to face him and looked into his blue eyes. She could see the pain in them and it killed her. But she knew that this was the right thing to do. They couldn't renew their relationship like this. They both had to be completely free in order to be together. She needed some time. "Well, I'll call you." Casey said giving him a small smile.

Cappie noticed that when she smiled, it didn't quite reach her beautiful hazel eyes. He had to respect Casey's wishes. She had a point, if they were to start up again, she would be dealing with all this Derek baggage. He wasn't sure if he was prepared for that. He was telling her the truth when he told her he was optimistic. He knew they'd be together sooner than later. Their love wasn't going to die. He reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I look forward to your call," he replied. He wanted to kiss her. It wouldn't be out of line, he thought.

Casey could tell that Cappie wanted to kiss her. So she put her arms around his neck and kissed him with as much passion she could give. She wanted him to remember this kiss, so she made it count. Cappie hungrily kissed her back and she could feel his hands rubbing her back up and down. She broke the embrace and leaned her forehead against his chest. "Good-bye, Cappie." She let go of him and put a hand on the door knob.

"Good-bye Casey," Cappie relied dejectedly. He watched as she opened the door and walked out. His heart was hurting like crazy. He leaned his head against the door and sighed. He would wait for Casey as long as he could.

As Casey rode down the elevators, she was willing herself to stop crying. She had done it. She walked away from him. In the long run, this was a good thing. She needed to go back to Manhattan and see if she would still feel the same way for Cappie over there. She just hoped that once she got settled into her own place and recovered from her broken engagement that Cappie would wait for her as he said he would. She too wanted them to be together sooner than later. _Here's hoping_, Casey thought as she left his apartment building and walked to her car. As she sat in her car, Casey looked up at Cappie's building. She started the car up and The Perishers _Nothing Like You and I_ began playing from the CD mix Cappie had made for her long time ago. "Nothing like you and I, Cap," Casey whispered. As Casey drove away from Cappie's apartment, she couldn't control the tears.

* * *

**A/N: So Readers, I'm saddened to say this is the end of this story. I'm sure I am going to get a lot of mixed reviews about this ending, but I thought it was the best thing to do for Casey and Cappie. **

**I originally was going to make it a happy ending, but I want to do a sequel to this story. So stay tuned for more angst and drama for Casey and Cappie. The Last Conversation: Part II will be coming out in the next few days. **

**Here's the basics:**

**Casey returns to Chicago for Rusty and Jordan's wedding. It's one year later and she and Cappie are none the wiser. They're both in the wedding and they have to walk with each other during the ceremony. Of course sparks fly between them, but this time Cappie has a girlfriend. More angst than ever. We'll find out what's happened in the year between their last conversation up to Casey returning to the Windy City. The big question is - will there be a happy ending for Casey and Cappie.**

**As always, thanks for reading and reviewing - especially to Lilylulu, jamorl1, NuitAngel, LilElisina, fn4life, 9selah - your reviews inspired me to update as quick as I can. I hope you will continue reading the sequel - I dedicate it to all of you.**

**~Dee**


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